


Light a Candle for the Fallen Angel

by chocobubblepanda



Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Barebacking, Bottom Zayn, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Liam calls Zayn pet and I love that, M/M, Mutual Pining, Older Liam, Parenthood, Romance, Sexual Tension, Shy Zayn, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Teasing, Top Liam, Younger Zayn, Zayn-centric, but not mpreg, demon!liam, human!zayn, overprotective liam, ziam parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:05:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 68,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9054658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocobubblepanda/pseuds/chocobubblepanda
Summary: “Liam?” I ask to the gloom, my voice cracks.There’s no answer. I take a step back while frenetically looking everywhere. I try to reach for my back, but there’s no metallic grip, there’s no sword.Whatever is out there, moves again among the shadows, brief as the blink of an eye, perturbing like a wolf’s howl. I’m terrified. I’m sure by now that it is a demon. It may be Liam and if that’s the case, I fell into his trap like a complete fool. (Or the one were a mere human named Zayn investigates his father’s death, and when every human and every angel turns their backs to him, the only option left is asking for help among the demoniacal side. And it is here where he encounters a young, mischievous demon named Liam...will he be able to help him?  Will both of them act as their natures dictate?...)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> His name is Zayn, Zayn Malik. That’s the name his mother gave him, even though he never had the chance to meet her. His father did not talk about her much, maybe because the pain it brought to him was unbearable. The only piece of information Zayn obtained about her was a “your eyes crinkle when you laugh, just like hers”.  
Now that his father was dead; the only memory left was Zayn’s full name and the peculiar creases that appeared on his eyes when his smile reached as far as the corners of this mouth let him.

In theory, angels cannot die. Presumably, the do not even own a body; they are pure spirits who belonged to the world many years before humans even existed.  
And that’s true. The things is, sometimes they could transubstantiate. In other words, they had themselves created a human body in order to be able to interact with real human beings. Centuries ago, they could displace themselves from the human body to their authentic form. It was just as easy as peeling of a jacket. But soon enough they began to weaken, making it harder to change, until it came a time when they could no longer scape their human embodiments. Remaining trapped amidst them forever.  
However, everything that could kill a human was inoffensive to an angel. Nevertheless there is still only one thing that was capable of annihilate them. Remember Uriel’s flaming sword? Well, that’s the one.  
Every angel, a good one or a fallen one, owned a sword. They were not literally covered in flames; see, they were made of reverted and solidified angelic essence, ironic, isn’t it? It was like the “negative of a photo”.  
When his father died, Zayn rescued his sword. Now it belongs to him.  
Zayn did know about his father true self because he told him himself; there were no visible wings, surely, they are part of every angel, but intangible at the same time. The thing was, if Zayn tried really hard, he could see two beams of light right coming out of his father’s back. Just like angels were not recognizable from humans (they didn’t have visible halos or a big set of white wings), you couldn’t tell apart a demon from a human either. The thing is… they did have something, call it sex appeal or however you please, but they were dangerously attractive. Like a magnet, you could be easily drawn into them.

Both, Zayn and his father travelled a lot. It was in one of those long adventurous journeys where his father died. Right outside of a petrol station in Poland, while Zayn was using the loo. He knew right away it was work of a demon. That same day, he swore revenge.  
But, where could he start? His father had friends, lots of them. Zayn was sure some were angels as well, but that was not what he needed. Right then he needed a human, the help of a human.  
One month forward, from Walbrzych, Poland, he took a complicated and tedious travel. He owned very little money, but nevertheless, with his comfortable boots and his life-saving backpack, he managed to arrive. The first person that came into his mind was Harry. He wasn’t sure if Harry was a real angel, but sure as hell he was the nicest person he’s ever met. He was a young priest, having met him in the town’s library, they created a beautiful friendship. Zayn’s father and he explored every church and temple on sight, mosques and synagogues as well, it looked like he was looking for something, but Zayn didn’t even ask, willing to join his father anywhere.  
Zayn was now in Spain right in front of door of the familiar parish. His dirty dark hair well hidden under the hoodie of his combat green parka; his boots two shades darker from the mud and his hands firmly grasping the straps of his big black backpack.  
The vision that greeted him was astounding as always, the tall vault rested high thanks to the marble columns on the sides, rays of sun slipping through the enormous and intricate glass panes, drowning in different colors everything in sight. A familiar mop of curls right in the first wooden benches. With his head low and his voice lower.  
Zayn adventured carefully to the front, but pausing and taking a moment to admire the beautiful tableau hanged up on the side. It was the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. What delighted more Zayn about the beautiful painting was the angel Gabriel, he’s kindest angel of them all, and the one who brings good news. His expression seemed so peaceful. And you don’t need to be religious, believer or catholic to admire an artwork of that magnitude.  
Wrapped up in his reverie, Zayn didn’t notice the person coming to his side.

“Zayn? Is it you?” Zayn turned to his side and a full smile finds its way to his face. It did hurt; he hadn’t smiled in a whole month.

“Hi Harry” His voice sounded a bit raspy and delightfully sweet. None of them could take their eyes from the other. Harry was thinking how much had the boy developed. His face no longer held that soft roundness. Being replaced by a sharp jawline and covered in a shadow of thin hair. 

“Wow… Zayn, you’re…you’ve grown up a lot” It was how much? Maybe five, six years since they last met. Zayn was now eighteen years old. He noticed Harry had changed too, his curls were longer, shinier even, and his expression softer, if that was even possible.

“Surely enough times goes by fast, eh? But hey, where’s your father?” Harry’s eyes scanned the parish, but no one else was there, being it truly early in the morning. Zayn’s smiled faltered a bit, searching with his own eyes the surroundings too.

“No, he…my father couldn’t come with me. It’s a- a long story, really “His brown eyes tried to tell Harry it was an important matter, but the latter didn’t seem to catch it.  
“Oh, if that’s the case we can wait for him…” Zayn stopped him before he could keep on. His hands no longer holding the backpack straps.

“No, no, what I meant is that I came alone. On my own. From Poland, you know? And well, I have nowhere to stay. And I need to speak with you. About what happened to my father. And ask you…” He couldn’t keep on talking. He hadn’t smiled in a month, as well as he hasn’t talked that many lines in the same monologue for about the same time, it was hard to be talkative so sudden. Harry had troubles digesting the information.

“You came from Poland to Valencia, on your own?” His eyes were opened, doubling its size, accompanied with a deep frown.

“Yeah… can I stay at your house tonight? Please” Zayn asks, breathing through his mouth and anxiously waiting for an answer. Harry lives alone; in a reduced apartment: a bedroom, an office full to the rim of books and a little living room which works as a dining room too. Both kitchen and bathroom are tiny. He knows this because he’s been there once. He slept that night on the sofa; his father didn’t need any sleep, as usual. Zayn had a deep sleep, he was much younger after all and any soft surface worked well. Harry remained silent, and Zayn kept on talking.

“You do live in the same place, right?” Before he could object, Zayn added “The sofa works for me, really, I don’t need anything else. It will even be a luxury after all those uncomfortable bus station seats” Harry blinks, his expression from earlier turning into a much softer one.  
For a son of an angel, Zayn surely knew how to manipulate.

 

 

“Mur- murdered?” Harry stammered. He needs a whole minute to let it sink in. His body and his long legs slowly slipping into the available chair, stunned.

“By a demon, or possibly a group of demons” Zayn pointed out, taking another bite of his diner. He was famished. Everything tasted marvelous now, Brussel sprouts? Delicious, a taste from heaven. Even the tiny bathroom looked like an oasis now. Zayn studied Harry’s face while carefully sipping from the glass of water. The later was now threading his long fingers nervously through his chocolate curls, nervous and bewildered.

“Demons” He says, almost tasting the sound of the word slipping in between his lips. “Are you sure, Zayn? Did you have the chance to see them?”  
“No, I didn’t” A lump started forming in his throat. Another sip of water. “But my father is dead, Harry, and it’s not an easy thing to kill an angel, do you understand?” Harry didn’t know about the swords, and better to keep it that way. Zayn tries not to let the anger build up in this heart.  
“Forget about all those mystic stories about angels floating around as if they were ghosts. They have bodies now. A body that heals itself, doesn’t age, doesn’t get sick, and that is vulnerable to some things. Like a demon’s attack. Only they could’ve killed him. Even if I couldn’t see them” Harry puts his palms against his chin, looking serious at the younger.  
“How did it happen?”

“I’ve already told you” He grunted

“I want to know all the details”

“For what?” Zayn realizes that he is slowly letting his anger slip, grumpiness making its way in the form of short answers between gritted teeth, paying it with the wrong person, someone who doesn’t deserve any of his actual bad temper. “Some demons attacked my dad, killing him, and when I arrived, he was lifeless. What do you need more details for?”

“Do you feel guilty?”

“Why would I feel guilty? “He almost barks “I wasn’t the one who killed him, I just found him dead. And stop interrogating me, this is not a confession”. Harry remains silent, Zayn too. His hand finding its way to the fork again, taking angry bites while burning holes with his eyes on the silverware. Harry then stands up, heading to the door to leave the young lad some alone time. But before exiting, he says with a velvety tone:

“If your father was assassinated by a demon, or several of them, you were lucky you weren’t there. You couldn’t have done anything to help him”.  
Zayn stops eating, lowering the fork while closing his mouth; his eyes quickly searching for Harry’s. The older one finally steps out of the room, closing the door behind him. Leaving Zayn with zero appetite whatsoever. 

His trip to the loo couldn’t have taken longer than fifteen minutes that day. On his way back he almost stumbled upon a body on the floor. He thought that was the fatal result of a drunken fight; but soon enough he realized it was his dad lying on a dark puddle. Blood mixed with petrol. The first thing that came into his mind, in his shocked state was taking the sword with him and running as fast as he could.  
The culprits could’ve been near the crime scene, he didn’t know. What was also left unanswered was what happened to his body. Was he destined to follow the same path that humans do? Or was it there another one for deceased angels? Only the dead could know.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0DSRXQVGug](url)  
>  ZAYN - Lucozade

Zayn’s Point of Vision

I woke up in the morning, suddenly disoriented, my eyes opening ever so slowly, where am I? Is this a house? Oh, right, Harry’s sofa. It turned out it was more comfortable than what I expected yesterday night, great.  
I get up carefully, listening closely. It seems I’m alone. What time is it? Where is Harry? I tend to sleep with just a tee and my underwear, and it’s been long since I could sleep like this, so I hope my rather “undress” state didn’t bother my host. I’m also incredible thankful for the shower and my new clothes. I’m lucky Harry is a young, modern priest, his clothes very similar to mine.  
My feet led me to the kitchen, where a pink sticky note catches my attention.

_Z,_  
_I had to leave; I’ll be out the whole morning. Eat whatever you need. I’ve left a spare key on the table, in case you need to go somewhere, also some money. See you at noon._  
_HS _  
Some things do never change; I remember Harry and his tendency to leave sticky notes on every available surface, always signed with his initials.__

While it is extremely cozy at Harrys’, I do not plan on staying here forever. I crumple the little paper with my hand, my eyes surveying the table, where a 20 euros bank note rests untouched. I haven’t seen that much money together in months. After my hectic travel from Poland to Valencia; a little trip around the city won’t hurt. I have nothing else to do until Harry comes back. I dress in tight trousers and a white t-shirt; Harry didn’t own any gel or wax, so tap water and a couple strokes with the comb will do.  
I don’t know much about Valencia; people often visit here the cathedral, the town hall and some kind of futuristic complex which holds an enormous aquarium inside; but it’s been so long since I was last here. And after all, I’m here to claim revenge, I’m no tourist. 

Two times I’ve been here, and those two times I’ve visited the same place: the municipal library, where I met Harry. I still recall his shocked but amused face when he saw me reading The Book of Enoch. I was at a too tender age to be reading those kinds of books, instead of comics. But it was logical, The Book of Enoch versed about the angelic world, the first fallen angels. I was interested in those after all.  
The library is in the middle of a park, paths of gravel and grass covered in the morning dew, a beautiful sight. Something breaks my chain of thought. Nothing in special, but an intuition. I take a quick look at the location, uneasy. Before me there is a pathway encircled with creamy colored columns, some of them broken.  
I shake my head, nonsense. There’s no one in here. I look, right and left, heading to that pathway. The sun is warming my now cold white cheeks. But soon, the library’s façade block the sun from me. I shudder yet again. This time I felt it. 

There must be someone… or something…. 

I stop in my tracks, my hand slowly coming to my back where the sword is resting trapped between my back and the rucksack. My fingers merely feel the metallic hilt.  
But he or she beats me to it. 

On the corner of my eyes, a pitch dark silhouette, agile, almost inhuman, a smear of black and hazy, too fast for the human eye, it pounces on me, a scream wants to escape, but my mouth doesn’t let it, my back collides with the ground, the shine of a sharp blade turning my pupils into minuscule black dots in an instant.  
The pigeons scamper in disarray, leaving small feathers behind. 

\------

“I’m alive” I murmur as I plunge my nose into the steaming cup Harry hands me “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. It’s…” I shake my head “I don’t get it”.  
“If you could explain it to me slower, I could help you” Suggests Harry. 

I look at him almost as if I couldn’t see him. Right, he just knows that I arrived home, a bundle of nerves, shaking, incapable of joining two strings of words. I try to calm down and set my memories in order. My tongue burns with the tea, but I don’t care. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. 

“Well, I went to the library and, well, I was… I was attacked”

“You were attacked? In broad daylight?” 

“It wasn’t a thieve or anything of the sorts, I don’t even know if that was human…but….it…well… tried to kill me” 

That brought too many negative feelings to my friend. Harry steps back, sits in his chair, his mouth open but words don’t make their way out of it. Finally he closes it, shaking his head, a bewildered look on his face, his eyes scanning me. I cannot tell him more without mentioning the swords. The thing that tried to kill me had one. I clearly saw it, hovering over my face, dangerously near, the pointy end could break my skin just by looking at it. But it, or he, or she, saw mine too, there, on the ground, knocked over just like me. I’m sure I’m alive because of my father’s sword.  
Maybe it was taken back; maybe he didn’t expect me having one. Just as fast as it came, it was gone, leaving me there, with ragged breaths and dangerously high heart rate.  
It must’ve been a demon. But if that was the case, why did he let me escape? Maybe because I’m nothing but a human? No, that can’t be it. I was so confused. I couldn’t even decipher if my attacker was male or female, I just had a glimpse of its eyes. They were deep; fathomless… reminded me of my fathers’. Was it another angel then? In that case, he wouldn’t have attacked me in the first place.  
A long, heavy silence ensues. Harry suddenly gets up and searches for his messenger bag. A pile of papers hit the surface of the coffee table. 

“I see” Finally mutters Harry, reorganizing the stack of documents “But the identity of your attacker is not as important. Zayn, you are in danger. Someone is tracking you down” He hands me an old newspaper, I can’t understand a word. 

“What’s this?” 

“Polish news, from the day after your father was murdered” I look at the front page, there are swift notes on pencil everywhere, Harry’s finger point at the picture of a young teen. I just don’t understand a thing, his face rings me a bell, but I don’t quite place it. 

“They mention the finding of your father’s dead body in a gas station in Walbrzych. In the same place, the same day, a teen was also found missing” Harry explained.  
Ah. Oh. Ah.  
Damn, okay, now I remember, the lad from the gas station, the one who was using the loo before me. I came across him when he stepped out. 

“He disappeared?” 

“As far as the on-line translator let me, he went to the loo while his mother was filling the tank. And no one has seen him ever after” I sigh, and Harry looks at me before continuing. 

“Don’t you get it, Zayn? The abduction… Your father… It’s not a coincidence” And with that, I suddenly realize everything. The certainty that Harry is probably not mistaken shakes me like a leaf. 

“They kidnaped the wrong boy” I murmured, almost making it sound like a question. 

“The angel’s son” Nods Harry “That’s the one they wanted. I don’t know who killed your father, but whoever did it, was searching for you. Now they must’ve realized their mistake and will come for you” 

__“But I still don’t get why” I grumble, dejected “I’m just a human, I didn’t inherit anything from my father, and if there was a supernatural war, I will be nothing but a pawn”_ _

__Harry looks intensely at me. I start to fidget and scratch my arm, my gaze lowers, taking a look at my hand tattoo, wanting to fixate on anything but Harry. He calmly recollects himself and steps out of the living room, returning with a book that fells on the wooden surface with a heavy thud. I lift my head to read the name.  
The Book of Enoch. It versed about angels, but more specifically about their sin: lust. How angels fell in love with humans and were punished by God afterwards, turning them into demons. In short, demons were demons because of humans. It took me a while, but I finally realized that, well, the book was deadly wrong. My father fell in love with my mother, and then I was born. And he was no demon. He was an angel, a pure one._ _

__“Zayn, I think someone has taken this book too seriously. Maybe someone didn’t forgive what your father did. But it’s just a theory”. Silence swallows the room again. I think Harry’s wrong, he must be, there must be another plausible explanation. I bring my hands together, under my chin, closing my eyes for a brief moment and suddenly remembering something._ _

__“I need to go” I get up, hurriedly looking for my backpack, rapidly packing away the little I had. Harry gives me yet again another furrowed look._ _

__“Wha- Where?” He got up as well_ _

__“My father knew a guy who owned an enormous library, he understood about angelic books and so. If I can reach him, he could help me with whatever is happening right now”._ _

__“Where does this guy live?”_ _

__“Madrid, but don’t worry H, I’m an adult now, and I’ve been through worse” He looks perplexed for a moment; I turn my back on him in order to reach for my parka. When I put it on, hoodie included, I turn around again, and he’s there, handing me his credit card._ _

__“I know you are already a grown-up, and you can take care of yourself. I’m not going to stop you, Zayn” A little smile on his lips, his green eyes shining “Take this, and don’t worry, it’s a duplicate of mine” My face must’ve been a show, because next thing I feel are his arms hugging my frame tightly and his credit card slipping in my jacket’s pocket._ _

__“Take care” His voice sounds muffled by my big hoodie. I hug him as tight._ _

__“I promise I will” They separate a bit._ _

__“Oh! And…” Harry goes again to the conjoined room, returning in a second with his curls uneven. He hands me a phone, it literally was a dark navy brick, but the exterior didn’t matter, because inside was saved Harry’s number._ _

__

__In my watch is displayed a 19:43pm when I arrive to Madrid. A train and a couple of bus later led me to one of the most important streets, full of book shops. I must run, if not, they’ll close, and I’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I can’t let that happen.  
Some shops are already closed, I look frantic, my feet still in a fast pace down the street, my hands as always adjusting my backpack and my hoodie still in place. I come to an abrupt stop when a bell rings, a man exists one of the shops, helping himself with a metal bar to close the gate. I approach him._ _

__“We are closing for the day, young lad” I want to stop him, but his eyes fall suddenly on me; well, more like my back. The sword. He tilts his head to the side, his light colored eyes still on it, and his short sandy locks falling graciously to the side as well._ _

__“Who are you?” He carefully asks in a thick accent._ _

__“Did you know Yasser?” I ask, instead of answering his question. A smirk creeps into the book shop owner’s mouth._ _

__“That I did, yeah, but what are you doing with his sword?” If I had any doubt by now that he could in fact see it… I gulp; I’m still not used to talking about this.  
“He died a month ago” The man closes his eyes and asks:_ _

__“The Enemy?” That’s how angels refer to demons. Some like to call them “fallen angels” instead, or simply, the fallen. I shrug._ _

__“I suppose, he was killed with a sword…then it must’ve been The Enemy, right?” The angel stands with his stoic look, harder than the one he displayed earlier. He turns a bit to the side and continues with the task of closing the book shop._ _

__“Its closing time, son”_ _

__“Oh, come one, you are an angel, you don’t need to sleep, eat or any other mortal activity, you can spare me ten more minutes of your time” I haven’t felt this brave in a long time, I didn’t even considerate if this angel was an impatient one, I was desperate for help and answers._ _

__He turns to me, his smile wider, once he made sure no one was in sight, and he let me in with a gesture of his hand._ _

__“I remember who you are; your father always took you with him” He says as he clears a table full of books and a couple of pens. I take my sword and leave it on the polished surface._ _

__“My name’s Zayn, and I just want to know who killed my father, I need help” He looks at me with more interest. He’s a bit shorter than me, but nor for much. Even being cold outside, he just wears a baby blue tee, displaying an array of tattoos on each arm._ _

__“I’m Louis. And there’s nothing you can do, honey. The battle between angels and demons it’s for them to fight. You have no power whatsoever. Just like only a demon can kill an angel, only an angel can do the same to a demon” He bluntly looked at me with a rather boring face._ _

__“Well, I’m not completely sure about that. Because someone is after me, and I don’t know why they would if I’m nothing but a human” Louis arched a brow and decided to take a sit, because this was going to take longer than just ten minutes._ _

__“Listen carefully, I don’t know if you father told you about this. But, there’s been a plague. Angels are dying; their power are being sucked from them. Demons are outnumbering them by now. On top of that, you need to know that, when an angel dies of any other circumstance that is not The Plague, another angel is born. That is the Compensation Law. It was made to assure an even number of angels”._ _

__I stayed silent, information, way too much information in just one sitting. Why didn’t my father tell me about this? This is crucial._ _

“You need to be thankful that your father died in “combat” with another demon, that way, somewhere, a new angel was born. He didn’t die for nothing, at least”  
I take a moment, a sudden idea popping into my head. I take a step closer to him, my hands removing the hoodie of my head. I inhale before speaking.  
“I want to take part in this war” I was certain, so sure of myself. 

Louis stays rigid, in the same spot for a minute. Suddenly, a laugh breaks the rather silence of the room. His laugh was harmonious; it made his eyes turn into little half-moons. He bended over the table, his shoulders trembled while his fists hit the table. Zayn remained still. 

“Oh boy… You humans are hilarious” He swipes the pad of this finger to get rid of a little tear. “Sunshine, don’t know if you like to take it from behind, but that’s all you gonna get, I swear” 

“Excuse me?!” 

Louis laughs again, this time more guttural. 

“Look, you are neither an angel nor a demon; you can be killed by both of them but can’t kill any do you get it now?” I guess he’s right, but then why am I being followed? And I’ve got a bloody angel sword; I could do something useful with it, right? 

“Your ten minutes are up, and I need to close the shop, Zayn” I refused, I needed help. Now that I found Louis, I won’t let him go away. Nevertheless, I was frozen, I couldn’t move, my limbs were immobile. Before I could even think about what was happening, I feel the pavement hitting my back. I was outside, the metallic door closed. I scramble to get up, still a bit dazed. I felt ravenous, my boots as well as my fists colliding with the metal shutter. 

“LOUIS!” I shout “I refuse to give up! You don’t want to help? That’s great! I’ll ask to The Enemy instead!” I deliver a last blow, my knuckles turning angry red, as well as my cheeks. It was deplorable. Before I could wake any neighbors up, I left the scene. 

My angry steps resonated in the dark alleyways. It was 02:03 in the morning. My feet hurt, I feel exhausted overall. On top of that, I think I got lost.  
Since I left Louis’ bookshop, I’ve been wandering every pub, bar or club I found. I needed to find a demon, even the most insignificant one. Or well, for him to find me.  
It is frankly hard to distinguish a demon from all the drunken, inhibited people from around. But I’ve got my sword with me, and the same way it drew Louis’ attention, I could do the same to a demon. Nonetheless, it’s been hours now and nobody seemed to notice. It’s also worth mentioning that I’m not dressed in fancy attire, my hair is not as styled and I’ve got nothing special on my looks. So, demon or not, who would take a second look at me? 

Until… Wait  
Someone is, in fact, staring. 

But, who? And why? I turn my head in all the directions, but it’s impossible to see a thing. Light flashes and a thick white cloak from smoke and artificial fog encircles me. It is hard to see the end of the place.  
I felt it again, that tingling in the back of my neck, goosebumps making their way through the length of my column. It was sinister.  
I make my way through the crowd, following my intuition the best I can. People stumble past me; it’s difficult to move more than a couple steps. The noise of the music is unnerving, mixing with the drunken shouts. I crank my neck as if I was searching for a familiar someone. I suddenly stop on my tracks. Still. 

There, on a booth secluded in the farther corner. Someone looks at me yet again. I’m scared but alert, my breath coming uneven. I contain myself.  
The owner of said stare has just sunk his face into the neck of some girl seated by his side. His hand wrapped around her waist. His face remained hidden under the long blond locks of his companion. She is wearing a tight small leather dress, leaving little space to imagination. She laughs, flirtatious, while he whispers something into her ear, but I still can feel his eyes on me. 

Suddenly, he regains his composure and locks his eyes with mine. His eyes were of a rich chocolate color. They screamed danger but incited adventure anyway, a predatory stare.  
The girl notices me as well, but in a bored manner, giving me a quick head-to-toes squint. It’s sad, honestly. What a naïve little girl. He just wants you for a one night stand, it’s painfully obvious. 

And he keeps staring at me, cold, piercing. Slowly, he smiles at me. It’s a sly and fascinating smile, a smile that doesn’t belong to a human being.  
I take a deep breath. It’s not time to back off. I’ve got an angelic sword with me. And that reminds me why he is staring so intently at me. He’s saw it. In a swift movement, I unsheathe it, taking the hold with both my hands. I observe with a satisfaction that I‘ve taken him aback.  
I may have also scared him a teeny tiny bit. In front of him lays the only thing capable of killing him. He squints his eyes at me.  
“Are you insane?” He hisses. 

“What do you want?” Asks a high-pitched voice from the girl, tone full of anger. She seems unfazed by the sword. She presumably can’t see it, too drunk, too stupid, and maybe not even related with demons and angels at all. She was annoying. 

“Tell her to go away” I order the demon in a calm voice, without moving a single muscle. 

“What? Who do you think you are you little-?!” 

“Get out” The demon tells her, unabashed, recollected, but without taking his eyes off my sword. She stays still for a moment, mouth hang open and hand trying to reach for his thigh. 

“I said get out” His voice was sharp, piercing. It looks like the girl plans on staying a bit longer, so the demon turns to her, giving her a look that must’ve killed, cold, inhuman. She briskly leads herself out of the booth, not without bumping her shoulder into mine on purpose. 

He turns his attention back on me. He is young, well, at least his human exterior. Maybe he was a couple of hundred years old, but on the outside he seemed to be on his late twenties. He’s dressed in black formal pants, and a tight navy shirt, sleeves carefully folded and a couple of buttons popped open. His hair slicked back in a small but comfortable style. He dresses with impeccable class. It’s early in the morning, but he’s wide awake, fierce, and alert. His elbows are resting on his separate knees, both hands intertwined by a couple of digits.  
I raise the sword a couple of centimeters, just in case he unsheathes his. But that never happens. It looks like demons are getting more and more reckless, adventuring outside without even their weapons to protect them. 

“Be careful with that” He tells me serenely “you could hurt yourself” 

“I’m going to be the one that hurts you if you don’t answer me some questions” Again, I feel so powerful, he’s unarmed, and I could easily defeat him. With a roll of eyes and a sigh, he continues: 

“You are nothing more but a human who plays to be angel, boy” his velvety voice arrives so clear to my ears, even with such a ruckus surrounding us. “And don’t ask to a demon, you won’t like the answers either way”. 

Great, among all the demons around the world, I’ve come to found the most uninhibited and cockiest one. 

“Don’t be a smartass, I’ve got a sword, and you don’t” Hearing that, the demon smirks. Oh, the _sex appeal…_

“So, are we going to narrow everything down to just owning or not a sword? Curious” I hate him, with a burning passion.  
“I want to know who killed my father” He just shrugs, pulling a face of disinterest. 

“My father was the angel Yasser, and he was murdered by demons…” 

“Hell! How mean are those demons, then! How would they dare to kill an innocent angel?” 

“Shut up!” I shout at him, my patience wearing thin. “My father didn’t partake in the war and me neither, but they are looking for me. And I just want to know why” 

He just squints, hushed, calm. While on the other side, I was a bundle of sweaty nerves. I didn’t feel as powerful now. 

“I see. The son of an angel. Too human to be considered as one of them, but irreparably involved in a war that is not his. Poor boy” 

__“You can keep your pity” I grumbled “I want to know the name of the demon that did it and the reasons why”._ _

__“Really? Do you think I keep tabs on every fucking demon? Not even Lucifer knows where his servants are at every minute that goes by”_ _

__“Then find it out” I shout at him, bringing the sword forward until it almost hits his neck, right on top of a birthmark. He seems as if he’s ready to recoil, however, he answers with a sweet smile._ _

__“I’m afraid your father didn’t teach you the basic rules of this world. Like, for instance, that one that says that neither angels nor demons take orders from human beings”. I deduce his next move, and I’m ready to hit him with the sword, but that was a mistake. He’s no longer there. I do leave a gash on the expensive looking armchairs. My senses sharpen, my stance is more rigid._ _

I feel something behind me. A couple of lips graze my earlobe. A spicy, fresh and woodsy aroma reaches my nostrils. 

“Go back home baby. Don’t play with things you don’t even understand. And don’t you dare to disturb me ever again” His tone dropped lower. No, I couldn’t let him slip. I already had an angel turn his back on me; I can’t let it happen twice. 

“Don’t go!” I turned back as fast as I could, this time, more than half of the crowd turns to me as well, I may have raised my voice too much. Great, now they think I’m wasted. I put my weapon away quickly and make a beeline to the exit. I don’t need to look around to assure that, in fact, the demon was long gone. 

Once outside, I look at my wristwatch, 03:27am. It’s cold, my exhales leaving a thin steam on their way out. While I wander, looking for the nearest and cheapest looking hotel, I can’t do anything but wonder what I am doing wrong. An angel refused to help me, a demon too. What was left for me to do?  
Maybe both of them were right and at the end of the day I’m nothing but a human; useless in a war that was not made for me.  
After a long walk, I arrive to a hotel, seems nice and it’s open, so it’ll do. I will rest and then probably head back to Valencia the next morning, or that same morning, technically, where Harry is.  
I’ve never felt this dejected. My brain mixed with sorrow and exhaustion. Sleep is the only thing left right now. I undid my boots and my trousers, left carefully the sword on the bedside table and drifted off to sleep. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am truly thankful for your kudos, comments and hits. Every little thing means the world to me. My way of thanking you all is this long-ass chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Have a delightful day!

There’s someone in my room.

That’s the first thing I think of when I open my eyes, barely a minute after falling asleep. I slightly sit up, my forearms putting pressure into de mattress. A pitch black envelops the whole bedroom. In a haze, I recall resting my sword atop the bedside table; I reach for it, ready to use it.

“I’m right here” Kindly points out a familiar voice, one I’m starting to wish I’ve never met.

I turn on the light of the small plastic lamp. The light’s bulb intensity is weak, but powerful enough to make me able to decipher a silhouette, sitting at ease in the lone, ragged green armchair of the corner.

“What are you doing here?!” I all but scream the exact same second I recognize the demon from earlier that night.

“Hush” And that’s all that takes for me to shut my mouth “You will wake everyone up”.

I’m still in an unfair shocked state. He tracked me down, he found me. And this time, oh, this time he did bring his sword. He’s going to kill me. I should’ve never left Harry’s side, I was safe with him. I just wanted revenge. I just wanted a fair ending and a reason why. 

Woolen bedsheets were now making their way down my shins as I pushed back on the bed. My father’s sword strongly held in my right hand, despite my tiredness, my back colliding with the bed frame. I’m caged. 

The demon gets up, taking a couple of steps further in my direction, his eyes slowly contemplating my naked legs until they rest upon mine. His sword remains sheathed in his dark leather belt. To my utter surprise, he reaches his hand out to me.

“I want to help you” 

My mouth opens up but closes a couple of times; I’m still dazed from the restless night, but I think I heard correctly. He lowers his hand.

“Excuse me?” It’s the best answer I could think of.

“What? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“It would’ve made sense if you’ve offered me your help when I was pointing at your neck with a sword. But not now, a-and acting as if nothing happened, do you think I’m stupid enough to deceive? It’s a trick”

The demon grins and naturally accepts my distrust. I suppose, if you are a demon, you get used to people not believing a word you mutter. Especially when angels have made sure this was a well-known fact: never, ever, no matter what, trust a demon.

I don’t get my eyes off him when this time he gracefully sits in the side of the bed, near me. I still hold the weapon up, my hands tremble a bit; but I assure myself it’s due to its weight and not the fear. He calmly speaks.

“After our delightful meeting, I was visited by a rather unexpected visitor. Someone who saw us talking and wanted to know why”

“A jealous girlfriend?” My voice loaded with sarcasm, the hand of my sword descending a bit.

“He was one of my kind. A demon that, in fact, was following you”

My heart rates pikes up at this. The joke long forgotten by both, this was serious.

“Who? Who’s following me?” Trying to sound calm was easier said than done. The demon shrugs, looking right in front of him, lost in his thoughts before turning his attention back on me.

“I don’t know him. I can only tell you that he was nothing but a henchman; a subordinate, someone minor behind who is probably someone more powerful. Anyways, they are keeping an eye on you. He wanted to know what did we talk about and what did I told you. He ordered me not to come near you”

Now I was completely astonished.

“So is that the reason why you’re here, right now?” I tried to find the logical bit behind it, but I found none.

“Exactly”

I frown, holding tighter the sword.

“Well, I don’t want you to come near me, and much less while I’m sleeping; it creeps me out”

His smile doesn’t falter. 

“Little human, I already told you: you are in no position to give me orders. I go wherever I want to. And if I feel like invading your hotel room just to talk to you, I’ll do it without titubation”

I’d like to say something about it, but unfortunately, he’s right.

“Okay well, go on then. But once you’ve finished, I want you out of here” He seemed so amused every time I spoke, that little smirk did things to me, and I’m well sure he noticed. His fingers grazed upon the stubble on his strong jawline. I didn’t care I was wearing a shirt and black underwear. I couldn’t care about his proximity either; I was too tired to care.

“You are nothing but a human” He points out. “The son of an angel, an inferior angel. You were right, you are not worth all the trouble. And I couldn’t give less of a damn if you were kidnapped and dragged to the bottomless pit of despair that we call home. But, what I don’t appreciate is some inferior demon giving me orders”.

Now I understand it all. Demons are chaotic by nature; they do not follow rules and lack hierarchy. You were considered as superior if you could impose yourself to others and make they do the dirty work for you, but that’s about it. Still, something didn’t feel right about the whole ordeal.

“So tell me… If it’s so obvious that you wouldn’t follow his command, why did he even bother?” The demon shrugged once again.

“It often happens that some of them are too dumb to do things right. Anyhow, if a demon was this interested about a human, there must be something important behind and I need to discover what”.

His eyes shine in the dim light in a sinister way. I still can’t quite trust him, he’s a demon after all, but something tells me I should believe him at least.

“Could you find out who killed my father?”

“I can try it” He nods while getting up again “Today, at sunset, I want you to go to The Retiro Park, wait for me right at the Fallen Angel statue. You must come alone, and without your sword”.

I looked at him perplexed “You think I’m an idiot right?” Again, that half smile already expecting my retort.

“I’ll be there, and I may bring information about your father. You know I don’t lie”. That one was true too. Demons were accused of being liars, but they are not. They don’t have the need to be because they know how to take advantage of every pact they eventually make. I look at him suspiciously, wondering where the trick is. If he wanted to kill me or rapt me, he could’ve done that a long time ago.

“You are surely not forced to come with me, but if you don’t, you may not obtain what you came here for. You decide”

Damnit. I finally let the sword rest atop of the bedside table and I make myself more comfortable.

“I can’t promise anything” I answer. His smile reaches his eyes, perfect white canines showing.

“Bye then” he rose from his spot on the bed, smoothing his shirt down and ready to leave.

“Wait!” I hold him back “What’s your name?” His gaze locked on mine.

“Liam” His eyes shining, entertained “See you when the sun sets, Zayn” He winks.

The light goes off all of the sudden. When I reach to switch it up again, Liam’s gone. Nothing in sight suggests that a demon’s been here. No sulfur smell, no burnt furniture or demoniac symbols on the walls. In fact, all that was left was the same spicy, fresh and woodsy aroma of his cologne, it was nice. Demons are discreet after all.  
Usually, demons don’t reveal their true identity: their ‘antique’ names, the ones that appear on the ancient sacred texts, not even to their equals, unless they were truly powerful superiors. That’s why they use a human name, an alias, in order to mingle with mortals.  
I notice I’m shivering when I get the sheets back on me. And after I closed my eyes, I realize yet another detail: How did Liam know my name?

\----------

A couple of hours’ worth of energizing sleep later, I’m heading out of the hotel. Showered and changed. After spending almost a month basically surviving, one learns how to take advantage of any opportunity available to make oneself comfortable and presentable. Hygiene was essential.  
On my way to the Park, I replayed our conversation. I’m fully aware this is by far, the worst decision I’ve ever made. If I chose to come here was because I didn’t have anything to lose. It’s almost as if I could see the ‘DANGER’ signs all over the streets. ‘Young’ demons like Liam were curious. The elder ones had already seen too much and forgotten just as much; very little could pique their interest. But the younger ones loved it here; some of them were even naïve enough to think they could dethrone Lucifer.  
I can’t help but to think again that a demon, a real demon, wanted to meet up with me. Only a mad soul could agree to this. Or an idiot.  
But I had to start somewhere; I was tired of taking stabs in the dark. I came to a point when, honestly, it did not matter if a demon or an angel were helping. Al least I’m being helped.

I arrived here earlier than expected. The Fallen Angel statue rises majestically in front of me. Somewhere I read that Madrid had a sculpture tribute to Lucifer. I thought it would be a standard devil, with horns, hind legs and a tail, but I was terribly mistaken.  
It displayed literally a Fallen Angel, it was astonishing. The artist beautifully crafted a young man, strong, with a snake around his frame, grounding him while he cries a mute shout of mercy upon the sky. Is it horror or pain what covers his facial traits? I couldn’t have guessed Lucifer could exhibit such an apprehensive look. Even the meanest ones can bear feelings too.

My contemplation ended the moment I remembered why I was here. I get my eyes off the sculpture and look around me. No one in sight, it was a bit early, anyways. The lawn seems clear of dirty or dew, so sitting seems like a nice option. I wait with my legs crossed and the last rays of sunshine giving my cheeks their warm kiss.  
In the horizon the sun sinks slowly but still no trace of Liam. I wonder if he forgot about our ‘date’. He possibly reconsidered better his offer and backed off.  
I sink my chin in between my knees as I resignedly sigh. I’m getting more worried by the moment. Have I mistaken something? The hour accorded was around sunset. And there wasn’t any other Fallen Angel statue in the park. I also came unarmed, just like he told me.

Leaving my source of protection and the only memory left from my father behind was a hard task. I feel incomplete without it after all these time carrying it on my back.  
I take yet another look at my surroundings, concerned. Half an hour ago I could see some people hanging out on the distance, a couple came from the left side jogging and a young woman also walked by with a kid. One by one, they all left the scene until it was deserted. I was the only one left. Crickets were the only source of sound. 

And yet no Liam in sight.  
I inhale deeply. I came here for nothing. Well, at least now I could turn to the hotel, retrieve my belongings and thank god I escaped alive from this one. Temperature is descending increasingly, night falling like a curtain. I’m not familiarized with this park, nor with Madrid, so it is natural for goosebumps to find its way to my skin. I’m scared; being alone, at night, in an unknown park and unarmed… I jump up from where I was seated, willing to return unharmed to the hotel. Do they close the park gates at night? What if the demons who were after me suddenly found me? It’s curious: when you are afraid, the only things you can seem to think of are even more terrible scenarios.

I’m not even two feet away from my previous position when I catch a shadow by the corner of my eye. Too brisk to be human.

“Liam?” I ask to the gloom, my voice cracks, I feel my heart beating faster against my ribcage, my ears sharpening “Is it you?”

There’s no answer. I take a step back while frenetically looking everywhere. I try to reach for my back, but there’s no metallic grip, there’s no sword.  
Whatever is out there, moves again among the shadows, brief as the blink of an eye, perturbing like a wolf’s howl. I’m scared, more like terrified. An irrational fear, because I’m sure by now that it is a demon. It may be Liam and if that’s the case, I fell into his trap like a complete fool.

Perhaps yesterday he wasn’t able to murder me because, after all, I had wielded an angelic sword. Per chance I could’ve taken for granted the immense power these weapons held against demons. Or simply it can be possible that he never truly wanted to help, I was his prey all this time, and he just needed me to get rid of the weapon and now he had the perfect opportunity to make me pay for disturbing him that night at the pub.  
I am a fool, I am such a fool.

My body turns around, I’m no longer controlling it; it’s the fear who takes the reins of my movements. My legs fast as ever.  
I am fully aware I won’t be fast enough to escape but I it’s the only option. I can feel him going after me, sliding swift as a thunder through the trees. He’s too fast for my ears to hear. The only perceptible sounds being the creak of my boots crashing against the tree branches on the soil and my labored breaths. Seeing where I’m heading its arduous. Leaves and thin branches from the foliage coming my way, I hastily push away most of them but some do scratch my face. I’m running soon turning into sprinting.  
And it’s too late; I can already feel his presence near my right side. In an instant, he’s in front of me, his sword reverberates under the dim park lampposts with an unnatural gleam. I abruptly come to a halt with an involuntary shriek, full of adrenaline my body swings to the side to dodge the stab. My body coerces me to keep on running; unfortunately, I lose my balance and fall on my side to the ground.

My hands come bracketing my head in a futile attempt of protection. This is it. His sword falls over me with the irrevocability of a demon's deception.

All at once it’s not one, but two the swords I can hear. Clashing one against the other, an angry screeching coming out from their collision. My eyes shot open, mere centimeters away from my face it glints smooth like water and bright like a star: the angelic sword that saved me.

The one wielding it does not seem an angel, though. It is frankly dark, but I’m lucky I still can perfectly make out his traits…  
Liam

He’s not my attacker, but my savior. The other demon furiously hisses and says something to Liam in an unknown language. He answers in the same dialect. Then, it happens in a blur: Liam pushes with his sword his adversary, removing him from me and keeps on thrusting it against the demon. The latter regains his fighting stance and now the clashes sound stronger, faster.

I can barely tell them apart, both incredibly agile for the human eye. I stay in the ground, petrified; I’ve never seen something like this, my mouth a little opened.  
It is an impressive combat, I suppose that proves why I forgot my live was about to end scarcely second ago. I should run, I should hide, but instead I remain here, gobsmacked.  
They attack, dodge and defense in a humanly impossible way, their swords seem extensions of their own arms. In an instant, one of those magical weapons falls heavily to the ground, accompanied by the forearm that was holding it. I want to scream, but nothing comes. Instead, I bring the back of my right hand to my mouth, my chest going up and down with my breaths. A disturbing howl comes from the lacerated demon.

Whose arm was that?

The conqueror straightens his shoulders and the light coming from a near lamppost catches his traits: Liam.  
My heart stops beating for a brief moment, relief cascading over me, I feel lightheaded all of the sudden. Stunned, I watch how he points the sharp sword to the other’s heart. Liam asks him something in the foreign language, but the one on the ground seems reticent to contribute. Liam presses his sword. The demon vehemently screams and before Liam has the chance to repeat his question, the answer hastily leaves his mouth in a mocking tone. Liam stands undaunted as a rock, not pleased with the answer at all, stabbing harder into his opponents’ chest. With this he sputters a string of words; it still falls incomprehensible to me.

Liam smiles, it doesn’t reach his eyes, though. He doesn’t mutter a word afterwards. In a fast, lethal movement, the blade of the sword plunges into his heart. Light ensues. An electric shock, similar to a silent lightning jolts the demon’s body. I’m sure the cry that leaves him will haunt me in my worst nightmares for a long, long time.  
I don’t suppress my appalled exclamation. Not because of his death, but because I suddenly realized that Liam was one of them after all. He was dangerous, destructive, a real demon.

He turns to look at me. There, with a bloody sword in one hand, eerily calmed. I have mixed up emotions: on the one hand my instincts are telling me to step back, run and keep on running until I’m out of breath. On the other hand, ironically, I’m unconditionally relieved he’s here. I look at him with big round eyes, disheveled hair and an unzipped jacket sliding down to reveal a t-shirt covered shoulder. He doesn’t look much better than me: crooked black cashmere top and black jacket, both dotted with red specks. It’s nice he’s dressing all in black, or else, the blood stains could draw unwanted attention. He’s got a bit of it too in his right cheek.

“Are you okay?” Liam asks me while I look at him unable to react; I’m still a bit agitated. “Are you hurt?” He urges again. A couple of steps later, he’s right by my side, crouched down. His clean hand comes to my temple, a calloused thumb caressing a cut I must have gotten earlier.

“N-no I’m fine” I voiced in an almost inaudible whisper. He nods to himself, self-assuring that I was in fact unharmed; still, his eyes scanned my face in search of any other scratch. His hand lowers from my temple to my cheek. If there were any blood left on my face I could blush. Liam seems to remember why we are here and in a moment is up on his feet and looking around in a defensive stance.

“Get up, we need to leave” I do as I was told, almost wincing when the bloodied sword is right under my nose.

“Take it, it’s yours”

“How can it be mine?” Comes in a croak

“It is. It’s the one you left at the hotel” I immediately take the sword for a closer inspection. Liam, on the other side, is grabbing the one on the ground, carefully disentangling the cold, rigid fingers, one by one with a disgusting ‘clack’. I admire his unperturbed face. He must be so used to this by now. Wait.

“Why on Earth did you have my sword?” He cleans the handgrip with the deceased demons’ clothes. Instead of giving me a proper answer, he’s more interested in ransacking his pockets for a while, looking for something. Once he’s done, a smile tugs in his lips.

“I just took it from your room” That’s it: anger, it was the only feeling I was missing among the compound of emotions of the moment.

“You told me to leave it there… just so you could steal it later?!” 

“Borrow” He punctuates, correcting me “And don’t whine about it, if I had killed that bloke with my own sword, it would’ve left an indelible trace. Every sword leaves their victim a print. And if you want me to help you, I must be discreet. It will draw less attention if he was stabbed by an angelical sword rather than a demoniacal one”

“I see…” I murmur, suddenly an idea popping into my head “Does that mean I could’ve discovered the trace of the sword from the one who murdered my father?”

“You couldn’t have. But I probably could, yeah. How long has it been since he died?”

“A little more than a month”

Liam shakes his head “Too late then, anyways” 

I can’t help but to think about my father’s body, what have Polish policemen done with the body?

“Let’s get out of here before someone comes” Liam says as I take a last look at the demon. He seemed like any other human to the naked eye; he doesn’t give the vibe of being anyone special –demon or angel- ; he’s wearing trousers and a checkered shirt. I shiver. He looks so mundane. He could be your neighbor or the shop assistant of the shop on the corner. If, instead of attacking me, he approached me to ask for the time, he could’ve caught me off guard because I would never have suspected a thing. This is what makes demons so dangerous. One never notices the danger until it’s too late.  
I hear Liam’s footsteps retracing and I quickly follow him. Not without firstly cleaning my sword the same way Liam did and sheathing it on my back. 

“Are you going to leave it there?” I oblige my legs to be faster, in order to catch Liam’s pace.

“Surprise surprise, I’m a demon” He makes a faux surprised face at me.

“Even worse then! He’s one of yours” 

“So…?”

“Do you frequently kill each other just because?”

“Technically, it’s forbidden” Accepts Liam, his hands moving as if to explain better. I notice he has a tattoo on his hand too, just like me “Lucifer is not keen on tipping the balance in favor of the angels. But that was before indeed” and smiles showing his pearl white teeth.

“Tipping the balance?” I ask, recalling the Compensation Law “Isn’t a demon born when another one dies?”

“Yeah, but only when they die on battle”

“But you two have batt- oh” I understand “A battle against an angel, you mean. Then another demon won’t be born from the one you just killed, right?  
“Theoretically, it will, because I killed him with the sword of an angel”

I still can quite wrap my head around this –any of this-.

“Now I get why Lucifer forbid battles between demons. The Plague exterminates angels. You kill each other off. Hmm I thought you lot were brighter than this” We were still crossing the park, foliage from weeping willows and oaks covering us. Liam was leading the way, so he made sure not to bump into any of them. He laughs.

“It's in our nature, and besides, you are forgetting about the other Compensation Law” And before I could ask him about it, he beat me to it:  
“It is said that once a mortal declared that there always must be the same number of angels as of demons. To ensure a never-ending battle. We demons need to fight, it’s a basic instinct. But now that angels are being swept off by The Plague we are losing opponents”

The puzzle pieces slowly start to connect. There is so much information left, though. I unconsciously slowed down my rhythm, too engrossed in my thoughts. Liam looks back at me and urges me to go faster.

“Come on, let’s get out of here once and for all before they find us” 

“They? Who?” I frown

“That demons’ top dog, obviously” My brow arches.

“Do you know who did he work for?”

“He told me before I stabbed him” His voice tone is undisturbed; he speaks of murder like Harry speaks of buttercream. I don’t have the chance to make a remark though, I collide face-first with Liam’s back. Having come to a halt, he steadily looks side to side. 

It is quick. One second I was steadying myself from the knock and the next one Liam encircled his arm around my waist, bringing my back impossibly closer to his front. The thick trunk of a black locust and its leafs hiding us under their shadows. Liam has his back on the tree, his other hand blocking my mouth. I’m scared, who are we hiding from? There was no one in sig-  
A man walks under one of the post lights, his attire fully revealed. My heart is beating rapidly but it slows down a tad bit; it’s just a policeman. However, Liam is still rigid. I can feel his breath in my neck. His embrace is warm, it shouldn’t feel reassuring: he’s a demon, we are in danger, I almost die today, but… it is.

We wait until he’s completely out of sight. Liam disentangles from me. The ghost of his hands around me still there. Demons are surely strong, well-built, even better than most humans and without even trying. With a nod we both scurry away, the gates are within sight. Thank god they were still open.  
Tomorrow the park will be opened again and an unidentified body will be found. Nobody will make a deal of it.  
We make it outside of the enormous Retiro Park but we keep on walking a few streets further, just in case. I don’t know where are we heading now, but before he disappears again, I need some answers.

“Who was that demon Liam? Why did he attack me?” Our steps are synchronized this time; I am able to look at his side profile.

“His name was Rüdiger, he was sent by Nergal, an ancient demon, but not a powerful one. Last time I saw him he was working for Agliareth. And he is a powerful one indeed” Okay, this is starting to seriously disturb me.

“So Agliareth wants to finish me?”

Liam looks at me and patiently sighs: “No, Agliareth is known as the Lord of The Spies. He’s specialized in obtaining and managing any type of information. His subordinates are infiltrated in every secret service on the world”

“And that means…”

“That means someone has turned up to him for information. Agliareth is just a mercenary. I don’t know where is he hiding and it’s too risky to contact him. The best will be to locate where Nergal is. With the right amount of persuasion he might tell us why he sent Rüdiger”

“And…now? What should we do?”

“Us? I’m sorry little mortal, but now you will go back to the hotel. Wait there until I come back with more information. After that, we’ll figure out something”

“But…” His face comes closer to mine, a smirk already tugging in the corner of his mouth, his chocolate brown eyes half closed. He taps the cold point of my nose with his index finger. I look at the digit cross-eyed.

“See ya Zayn” And with that he’s gone.

I don’t even bother calling after him this time.

“Asshole” I murmur to the night.

\----------

It is almost empty when I enter the cybercafé the next morning. I sit in a round table where a single computer lays switched off.

Last night, the first thing I did was calling Harry. It was two days ago when I arrived to Madrid and he was deeply concerned about my well-being. After reassuring him I was unharmed and well accompanied, he seemed at peace. I didn’t lie to him, I simply left some information unsaid; for his benefit, of course. I did not want to worry him any further about my rather unique acquaintance.

The computer comes to life and I star my online research: demons, daemons, devil, Satan… I come across a ton of heavy metal sites, and seems like Wikipedia is the only ‘serious, formal’ website here.  
I don’t find much new, neither about Nergal nor Agliareth. What I did find though was an interesting article about demons infamous ‘sex appeal’. It told a story about how they would lure their preys due to their looks. Their voice and charisma had a similar effect on their victims as any other drug. Lulled by them, the naivest ones would give away their souls. Others were used as slaves or sex slaves. The more I read, the more my stomach churns.

Should have I given up when Louis kicked me out of his book store? My brain was all this time warning me, giving red light signals of just back the hell off. Now that I think about it, I’m nuts: Looking for a demon was like entering a building in flames. Who in their right mind would do such thing? Well, me, apparently.

My eyes divert to the front side of the café, losing clarity, the other tables seem just a colorful blur. Lost in my thoughts, it’s time for me to be honest with myself.  
I’m attracted to Liam. But honestly? I didn’t believe those urban legends; I knew a spell wasn’t cast upon me. I am not gone per se, I’m pretty much aware of his cockiness, his pettiness and that eerie aura that constantly surrounded him. I absentmindedly scratch my neck. 

Since I was born, I’ve been travelling all around Europe with my father. Everywhere I go I met new people, most of them angels or humans, and yes, their auras always gave a comfort feeling to the ones around them, their actions were kind, too kind, and their smiles sweet enough to induce diabetes.  
Maybe it was exactly that: he wasn’t what I was used to. He was like a promise of never-ending adventure and thrill. I, too, realized that he was just like the Fallen Angel sculpture: both were born full of bad intentions, their instincts precarious and always ready for a fight. Nevertheless, they showed something else apart from rage and hatred. The statue claimed mercy, while Liam was helping me, a teenager human, and without getting anything profitable from it.

Angels could be mischievous too; Louis was a good example of it.

“Lure their preys?” I jolt, startled by a male voice. Gone in my little trance, I failed to notice the person bending beside me. My head snaps to the side where the voice comes from, faster than light, but catching myself just in time before I smack my face into the other one.

Speaking of the devil…

“How did you find me?” Liam is still reading the article displayed on the computer’s screen. I quickly hide it and his brown eyes turn to me. He’s smiling, as per usual. 

“Didn’t know you were into this kind of stuff” His thumb points the general direction of the screen. 

“I’m not, I know is bullshit” I feel my cheeks warming. Vasodilatation wasn’t needed now, honestly. His face is so close “A-answer my question please”

“You are human, but I’m glad you are not stupid enough to believe that” His eyes rolling “Either way preys sounds too harsh, I’ll rather call them one-night stands”

“Excuse me?” His laugh resonates throughout the whole place; my cheeks must be a couple of shades darker by now. He ruffles my hair while straightening himself. Now that he’s not as near, his sword comes to my vision field; it’s on his back this time, the brown leather straps hugging his chest: one strap comes from his left shoulder to a little bit under his right pectoral, while the second rests atop somewhere near his first ribs.

“I was just joking, relax” I side-eye him, my answers still unanswered, so better try with a new one:

“Why are you here?” 

“We need to find Nergal, and I happen to know where he is” His eyes shining in amusement.

“Do you?”

“Yeah, Berlin” He waits for me to digest the information.

“But are you aware we’re in Madrid right now, yeah?”

“Fully aware, yeah. Let’s meet tomorrow at sunset by the Siegessäule” Oh no, not again.

“The what?”

“Siegessäule, also known as The Victory Column, in Tiergarten. One of the most famous monuments in Berlin, you will find it just easily”.

“Wait, wait, hold a minute. How do you pretend me to go to Germany, exactly? Do I magically grow wings or what?” I turn my body in the chair more into his direction to emphasize my point, giving him my best bewildered face. 

“Look darling, I’m helping you way more than any other demon, angel or even human would. I’ll give you a week okay? Seven days from now, we’ll meet there”

I deeply frown at him. Is he for real? He desperately sighs and lightly pinches the bridge of his nose as if he was trying to explain Russian Industrial Engineering to a five year old child. 

“You know I’m making a huge effort, right? Listening to you is against my morals as a demon, but here I am” I still can’t come with an answer, I’m not sure I can make it this time.  
He steps back without taking his eyes off me.

“A week, Zayn” Another step back “Auf wiedersehen”

“Wait, wait!” It’s futile. He did it again, just like a shallow puddle on a mid-summer noon, he evaporated. 

I turn forward, my hands coming to cover my whole face. Both elbows resting atop the wooden table, I let a high-pitched annoyed sound, the noise somehow reduced by my hands.

“Fuck” Comes in a muffled moan.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lenghty chapter this one! Thank you so much again for the kudos, beautiful comments and basically making me the happiest lil person ever! Thoughts on this chapter? Would you add/remove something? Lots of love xo
> 
>  

Knackered: that’s the best word to describe me right now. 

I finally reached my destination; Berlin. It was not easy, not even by a long shot. First of all I thought about buying plane tickets, but there were no available seats until next month, so public transport was left as my only admissible option. Rather reluctantly I also used Harry’s credit card to buy a much more spacious travel bag and some spare clothing, near future was now an uncertain terrain for me.

The InterRail departed from Madrid. Have the compartments been comfortable you may ask; and well, I at least was lucky enough to find mine unoccupied, remaining that same way for the rest of my journey. The folding single beds were each one aligned to the sides, the window separating them, it was truthfully cramped, but I’ve had worse. The moment I looked at the door I found myself exhaling a breath of relief: it had a lock. This way I felt safer, I didn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night, with a demoniacal sword pointing my neck. Deep in the back of my brain, a tiny voice told me that if they wanted to enter and kill me, they could do it just fine, nevertheless, I convinced myself of the opposite.

There was nothing for me to do until the ten minutes were up and the train started moving, so I just got comfortable, I removed my boots and hid my raven locks in a woolen beanie. The mattress was somehow soft under my touch. I lied down on it and instantly covered my eyes with the beanie, my hands resting atop of my stomach. I made sure to hide my sword under the bed. Nobody had noticed it so far, but I did so just to assure its safety.

Madrid was followed suit by Paris and a couple French cities I didn’t even bother to remember, once we reached Belgium we stopped in Brussels, finally entering Germany, where the ride ended in Frankfurt. Four days’ worth of travel, below zero temperature and unwelcome neck pain.

The moment I stepped out of the train, I zipped my parka and put on the furry hood, the journey had drained my energy and even if it was cloudy, the sunlight still bothered me. A heavy sigh escaped my lips, creating a steam sphere which disappeared just as quickly as it appeared; I needed to do one more trip yet: Frankfurt-Berlin.  
Liam gave me seven days: the first was spent arranging the travel and cursing him in every language known to humankind, the next four on the cold train, the sixth in a bus and on the seventh day, I decisively reached Berlin.

Berlin is an immense, clean and peaceful city and I’d love to wander every alley, garden and monument of it, but that was not what I came here for.  
It is 09:00 am sharp in the morning, which means I still have some time left to acclimatize, recover from the train and bus rides and rest for a couple of hours. The youth hostel I found was a cozy one, wooden floor, creamy and baby blue colored furniture and it smelled of orange blossom and hot cocoa. It didn’t seem as if I was here to meet a demon who will later introduce us to yet another more powerful demon.

This time, we are four sharing the same room: two Chinese boys named Zitao and Sehun and a Russian girl, Svenia. They are nice, mainly because communication was a tad bit difficult between us, so our interactions were basically polite smiles and nods.  
After taking a hot shower and re-dressing, I mend a leather band I bought, bringing together a sword back harness, this way I will be able to bring my sword with me all the time, instead of holding it with my backpack.

____

So this is Tiergarten eh… 

I’ve came here a bit earlier, as I usually do, because after feeling restless while being caged in a room with other three people, fresh air was much needed. 

With a map in hand, held with freezing fingers I make my way through Friedrichstrasse, Unter der Linden and the famous Brandenburg Gate. Everything seems enormous. I look in awe at every structure. According to the map, if I keep on going straight, I’ll soon arrive to The Victory Column, and once there, it dawns on me why we met here: above the Column was a golden angel with big opened wings holding a crosier. I stand there, admiring it, but my eyes divert to my surroundings: sun is setting, and people are slowly leaving, there is a couple not far from me, they are laughing and holding hands.

I can’t help but to suddenly feel a pang of loneliness. I can’t either help when my eyebrows draw a frown and my eyes slowly find my boots.

I long for a normal life; I crave stability, why couldn’t my father be human? Why couldn’t I study? Or get a job, a nice home and someone who held me every night and told me it’s okay not to be strong. I tend to bury my emotions deep inside, that’s why I didn’t cry for my father’s death. I keep telling myself to be stoic, strong; I think the best is to not get too involved with people emotionally speaking. It’s for the best, I’m sure it is.  
The worst of it all is that I am aware of this, I’m conscious that I’m still eighteen, and those pent up emotions need to be sorted out, need to be felt. Nevertheless, if I start I may never finish. I also have never had a relationship and while I felt how my father loved me with every fiber of his soul, I want to feel another type of love. 

How ironic, isn’t it? Coming here with the word revenge under my tongue and daydreaming about romance in the meantime. 

 

“Beautiful” Says a voice too close to my ear.

“Wha-?!” I promptly recoil and turn around with an exclamation. It’s Liam, who thoughtfully contemplates the golden angel lifted above us. He’s wearing tight blue jeans and a grey shirt, jackets are such a waste for them…his hair carefully gelled back, not a single hair out of place. His elegance is undeniable, as well as his good looks. Daylight is playing with the color of his orbits, making them of a lighter chocolate shade. This time he’s armed with two swords, crossed in his back. His head turns to look in my direction, his smile halfway there. 

“Don’t be jealous, you’re beautiful too” He tries to smirk but fails behind a laugh. I blush; blood from every part of my body coming to my cheeks. I look at him while my mouth opens and closes, trying to find a suitable answer. Should I thank him, come up with a snarky remark…?

With a movement of wrist, he quickly unsheathes one of the swords.

“Look, this is the one I took from Rüdiger last week; it’ll serve as a trade for information once we meet Nergal” I divert my attention from Liam to the sword a couple of times.

“Oh” I sound a bit lost, honestly “And where’s Nergal?” The weapon is once again in his back and a mysterious, devilish grin playing on his plump lips. With a half turn of his body and a nod in the opposite direction he says:

“Follow me” The tone clearly suppressing an underlain elation.

____

Thirty-five minutes later, we arrive in front of a small, secluded boutique. The walk here was remained silent by both of us, and if our side-eye glances met more than once, neither mentioned it. 

I follow him closely inside. Was said top demon an employee? I hardly doubted so, honestly. Refusing to spend another minute of uncertainty, my hand softly touched Liam’s bicep from behind. 

“What’s wrong?” He stopped and surveyed my face. The boutique seemed clear of people.

“What are we doing here? Is Nergal a shop assistant?” He throws his head back chuckling, his shoulders shaking from it.

“Zayn, I haven’t laughed in the past centuries as much as I’m doing since I met you, honestly” That…that actually almost made me smile, if it wasn’t because he was laughing at my expense, not with me. 

“No, Z, we’re here to pick up a more suitable attire for tonight’s event” It was clear as water that he meant to explain the situation, but he achieved to confuse me even more, instead. Where did that ‘Z’ come from?

An old man exits from a door I’ve failed to notice before, rearranging his glasses on the very point of his nose while welcoming us with a big smile. He has a thick yellow moustache (presumably from smoking), he is wearing black suspenders and a long sleeved shirt, the buttons struggling to remain buttoned due to the size of his belly, the cherry red of his cheeks appreciable from afar. 

“Well hello there Liam, I’ll dare to say he’s the one you told me about yesterday, right?” Me? Why did they talk about me? What about? And why do questions seem to increase in number but I never obtain answers?!

“My name’s Zayn and I demand to know what’s going on” I looked from one male to the other.

“I see Liam’s as cryptic as ever” The old man howls “I’m glad he’s finally settled down with someone like you” Even though he murmurs the last part, I still hear every word clearly.

“N-no, we’re not…”

“Don’t bother, son” He interrupts me with, swaying his moustache from left to right. How did he do that?

“Let’s get to work, time’s running out; Liam take a seat, I’ll start with him” He went to retrieve something from behind the counter, plastic and metallic pieces collided in a melodic sound when his hand rummaged the little piled boxes.

I was beyond puzzled, frantically looking for one side to the other, am I in danger? Who’s this man? Said male found what he was looking for with a triumphant “aha!” 

Despise the weak lights inside; I still see how the small object shines. Was it a dagger? I feel goosebumps appearing on my skin. All of the sudden, two arms encircle me from behind, fitting under my arms until they reached my front. This time I don’t need to turn because I already know is Liam, his cologne familiar by now.

“What the hell are you up to?” I hiss, feeling suddenly hot all over. He softly laughs as he removes the sword harness, moving to unzip my jacket and taking it off. I feel like a puppet under his touch. I want to look at him, but the corner of my eyes catches the shinning object and the old man dangerously close. Before I’ve got time to react, I feel a cold metallic pressure in my wrist, flinching, with a scream that wants to make its way to my mouth, but doesn’t. 

It was a… a measuring tape? My brows furrow. The old man measures the distance from my wrist to my shoulder.

“Liam, come on, tell him or else he’ll faint, look how pale he looks” 

“But I wanted it to be a surprise”

“Well I don’t?! Liam we’re searching for a dangerous … person” I wasn’t sure if I should pronounce his name or identity in front of the elder. The only thing I was sure about was that after killing my father’s assassin, I’ll end Liam too, I swear. “There’s no time for surprises” 

Liam devilishly laughs “Okay, fair then” His eyes stuck in mine “We’re going to a kind of masquerade ball. It’ll be hosted by a posh businessman at his opulent mansion. Nergal happens to be one of his associates and he’ll be attending. Don’t worry, most of the guests are humans” While he was explaining, the man, whose name didn’t even bother to share, kept on measuring me, seeming oddly satisfied with the proportions. 

“Really?” I exclaimed in disbelief. My eyes shining, it sounded like we were travelling in time to the Italian Renaissance.

“Yeah, that’s why Gerhard here is helping us out with the attire” He left my things on an armchair, his hands coming to his pockets. The man, Gerhard, nods to himself and disappears from the same door in a dash.

“How comes we were invited to such a high-class ball?”

“We were not” His eyes move in a circular motion before settling in my face: a little mischievous smile showing while his shoulders comically go up. I’d rather not ask further. 

Gerhard comes back, urging me to enter the fitting room on the right side. As soon as I’m in, he shoves a pile of black clothing to my arms, telling me in the meantime what is each one of them and to ask for help if case I need it. I’m definitely so not used to this. Any of this. I can hear how he also ushers Liam somewhere else to change as well. 

____

Ten minutes are up and I slowly pull to the side the curtain, shyly getting out, curiously, my eyes won’t leave the floor. A sharp inhale audible. I scratch my nape while looking up.  
No Gerhard in sight, only me and Liam, and well-

He stands there, tall, black tight slacks, almost like a second skin hugging his legs, making him even taller, his frame is covered in a black two-buttons fitted suit jacket, buttoned, covering a white shirt, his shoulders seemed straighter and broader, all of it topped with a smart wine red tie. Clean-cut, elegant, smooth, and I could go on and on. I’ve never seen someone quite as good-looking as him, a real sight to behold. I knew demons tended to be handsome, but he was different kind of handsome.

I wouldn’t voice my thoughts out loud, but my body knew how to do so, apparently. My cheeks burned and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.  
He didn’t take his off me neither, he seemed in a trance since I stepped out, with a hungry look he wouldn’t bother to hide. Not the same he gave me in the club, no, that one was mixed with inquisitiveness and annoyance. This one right now is pure hunger. 

I cough in an attempt of dissolving the stiffness in the air. His eyes seem to focus again, with a smirk that couldn’t be missed.

“You look great” His voice before so velvety was now hoarse, thick like honey.

“T-thanks” I was wearing more or less the same, but my black blazer had the shoulders of a different texture (leather, I guess) and it’s much more fitting on the waist. Instead of wearing tie, the first two buttons of my shirt were opened, tattoos peaking. “You too” I sound so soft.

In a couple of steps we was towering me, the gentle fingers of his left hand sliding through my quiff, fixing it. He’s close, so close it’s like I almost hear his heartbeat. He is surely hearing mine because it’s frenetically riveting against my chest. I gulp; he’s looking intensely at me with half-lidded eyes.  
After a brief moment he steps away, taking only one of the swords, leaving the other two (mine and his) occulted in a shelf. I’m glad he separated from me or else I would’ve turned into jelly. 

A bell ring unfreezes me from my position: Liam’s opened the front door, waiting for me.  
“Shall we go now?”

 

\------

Thunders resonate far and wide in the dark skies, echoing in the distance while roaring once more.

Accordions begin playing in the distance, soon followed by violins, musical notes coming together in an eerie yet graceful melody. Unfortunately, said notes come in a muffled sound from where we remain hidden.  
An enormous mansion stands tall in the middle of a pristine-looking garden. It is an understatement calling them so, bearing in mind that the mansion looks more like a reduced palace, while said garden gives the vibe of being a never-ending forest. 

Liam and I are behind a huge oak, looking at one of the sides from said mansion. People are coming inside, all of them looking in their best: exclusive suits, classy long dresses… It’s frankly opulent.

“Will we be able to get inside, Liam?”

“Do you trust me?” Do I trust a demon? Well, I’ve asked myself this question a hundred times since I met him and I always come with the same answer: apparently, I do.

“I trust you”

“Great then” He smiles “Here, take this” I take a look at how his hand comes to his sword belt.  
There, tied, were two black items I could not recognize, it was too dark. Both his hands come to the back of my head and I feel how he sets something over my temples, nose and around the eyes. A mask, a black lacy mask which felt soft as a feather. He strongly tied the knot behind, just the right pressure; it didn’t hurt but let me move my face without it falling off.

“Now it really looks like we truly belong to a masquerade ball” He ties his too, but his it’s distinct: instead of covering the part of the eyes, it covered half of his face. It was made of an intricate lace material too. He looked stunning.

“It suits you” I eyes shot wide open as soon as I recognize my voice is the one pronouncing those words. He looks pleased, white canines showing from a big smirk. 

“Why thank you darling” He laughs as I scoff. 

“On the count of three, take my hand and we’ll run to one of the windows, okay?” I nod, but then I look at the big crystal panels. There was more than a meter of distance separating it from the ground. Oh well…

\------

My feet collide first with the ground making a muffled thud against it, Liam on tow. It is pitch black inside of the room and it’s impossible for me to make out a single object in here, not even the door; nonetheless I’m relieved we stepped in an unoccupied room, or else we could’ve been kicked out immediately. I don’t move, too afraid of coming face-first with something and making a ruckus, even with the music sounding much closer and therefore clearer than before.

Liam senses this and takes my hand, interlacing our fingers. I also thank the darkness for making my traits undetectable.

“I can see in the dark” He comments. Damn. “I’ll guide us outside; once we step out, act normal, okay? We’ll reach the ballroom through the main door. Ready?” An anxious knot appears in my throat, I can almost taste the danger swirling in my tongue. I don’t trust my voice to come with an answer, so I opt for clasping my hand tighter around his. 

He seems to get it as he moves forward, me following suit. I can hear how the door scrapes against the floor, light drowning us. Outside there’s only a spiral staircase, going up and down further. We assume the music comes from below and that’s the direction we finally take.

 

Our hands remain inseparable when we step through the gigantic golden doors, opened by a couple of servants, each on one knob, gracefully reverencing us in a welcome manner. Liam thanks them with an elegant nod and my jaw falls out of its place. Harlequins were everywhere, performing skillful tricks with silky ribbons, moving in smooth ripples, spirals and coordinated movements.

I’m speechless.I suddenly got that feeling when a place is so beautiful that it makes you lightheaded and dangerously emotional; Stendhal syndrome was it called?

The ceiling elevated so high that in order to appreciate it, your nape needed to touch your back. Gigantic crystal windows inserted in ivory walls, long golden curtains blocking the outside. Alabaster full body sculptures distributed on every corner, warm amber light from the crystal chandelier covering the whole place.  
People were waltzing in pairs, the music orchestrating their moves in perfect synchronization.

“Close your mouth or else you'll catch flies” I try to do so, but I’m unable. 

“This looks exactly like a fairy tale” My mouth turns into a wide smile, a genuine smile, from cheek to cheek, pulling so hard that my face starts to strain.

“Even with the mask on, I can tell your eyes crinkle when you smile” I turn to look at Liam. That’s exactly what my father used to tell me. This time my smile remains as big, or much bigger, if that was possible.

He inspects the ballroom, there are too many people, each one of them covering half or their whole face with a mask.

“May I have the honor of this waltz?” Liam bows in front of me, smiling, one hand going behind his back, the other slipping away from our strong grip just enough to take it closer to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. 

I giggle at his antics, he surely is more than a couple centuries old, those seemed well learned manners from another time. I nod, we step forward, hands linked.

Liam stands in front of me, raising our right hands above us. We circle around at the same time; our wrists the only part touching, our main axis while we spin. Mid-spin, Liam moves faster than me, stepping behind, encircling an arm around my small waist, a strong hold balancing my every move, his remaining arm horizontally elevated, clasping my hand. I don’t know how to dance, and much less waltz, but with Liam every dance move goes smoothly. Our left legs step to the side at the same pace, giving it time to put our body weights into the left side to spin faster this time. 

Right foot forward, left foot backward.

He spins me so that now we’re face to face. The melody’s tempo arrives to a ‘vivace’, getting faster, a choir or mezzo-soprano voices singing along. Every little hair of my body rising from the goosebumps. It’s seems difficult to breathe. This is like a dream and I wish to never wake up.  
This time his right hand is tightly grabbing my left one. I know the etiquette of this move: I just need to let my right hand rest on Liam’s shoulder, however, it goes up a little bit until it fits perfectly in Liam’s neck. It feels pleasant to the touch, my thumb already sensing his pulse.  
What feels even better is his other hand sliding from my low back to my side, his thumb finding its way between my clothes, caressing my hip. It sends shivers of pleasure to my every fiber.

Our glances locked. I feel small but safe in his hold. We spin and spin; everything seems a colorful blur except for Liam’s mask-covered face.  
I’m the one being spun now; I get far from where he stands still, just so he can bring me closer and this time, with his hot breath in my cheek, our chests glued and our knees colliding, we slow the pace, no longer following the orchestra’s rhythm.

His face comes painfully close to mine and it’s now when my heart skips a beat. He nuzzles his warm plump limps in the side of my neck, roaming every inch from my collarbone to right under my pierced lobe ear, he doesn’t kiss, but the titillation his mouth leaves, will be marked for ages in my skin. I instinctively tilt my head to provide him with more access. My sight no longer focused, clouded, gradually closing so that I’m able to sharpen my other senses.  
Our cheeks softly collide. I have the sensation we are alone on the middle of the ballroom. His tender touches are the only thing keeping me grounded, it feels intimate, passionate. A sudden urge of turning ever so slightly my head, just and inch and-

 

“Nergal” Comes in a livid tone from Liam. I abruptly open my eyes, color draining from my face, my soul plummeting to the ground in realization. I refuse to turn into the direction of Liam’s eyes; I refuse to face the main reason why we are here. My shoulders shag dejectedly, this could not be happening. They say eyes are the window to the soul and because of that I find myself almost closing mine. My head is nearly following my eyesight; however, Liam stops me by putting a hand on my chin and making me face him.

“Zayn, we need to do this” Once again I can’t trust my voice, so I simply and hastily nod. Liam exhales and takes my hand, swiftly waltzing his way out of the crowd: seems like Nergal is retrieving to one of the expensive tables located on the very end of the room.

Just as the powerful demon takes a seat, looking tired (demons never get tired: it must be pure boredom), Liam takes the one in front of him, guiding me to the other padded chair.  
He seems burly and has a tall frame; his hair reminds me of an orange because of the garish color. He looks up at us, nods to Liam, greeting him. Both cross a couple of sentences in that incomprehensible language and in that moment, Nergal’s inquisitive eyes stop at me.  
And suddenly, I am trembling in dread; I have the urge to get out of here as fast as I can.

“You are going to scare him” Murmurs Liam

His words reach deaf ears, as he keeps on looking at me in that same unnerving way.

“My name’s Nergal. I’m one of the most ancient demons on the face of the Earth. Very few humans have seen me, knowing who am I, and managed to make it out alive. And yet you dare to venture here with another demon by your side…” He finishes smiling; it’s a hideous smile, showing rotten teeth, eyes darkening in the most sinister way.

“You should be dead, little human” He calmly adds. I straighten my posture in the seat, restless. I look at Liam in search of protection, but he’s looking daggers at the demon. Nergal doesn’t move a muscle, but his sole presence gives a threatening aura.

“I sent someone to kill you; however, you voluntarily came here to me, alive. You are either stupid or insane” I almost reply him that I’m right here right now because of Liam’s brilliant idea, but I’d rather shut up and wait to see what happens. If he decides to kill me, there’s nothing I can do to stop him.

Then, Liam slowly draws Rüdiger’s sword out, resting it on the table. Nobody in the room seems to register it.

“Your messenger is dead” Adds Liam “And here is his sword”

“I see” Nods Nergal “You want to collect the reward in his place. Well you may know the deal was killing the human, not bringing him alive”

“I don’t want a reward. I want to make another deal”

Nergal laughs “A deal? You don’t know what did they offer me in exchange of the boy’s life, you are in no position to bargain”

Liam shrugs “I don’t ask for much: just information and a two-days deadline. You can do whatever you please afterwards”

Come again? I jump from my spot as if I was pricked. Has Liam bought me two more days’ worth of living?

“What the hell is this?” I demand “We’ve discovered his trick and killed his subordinate. It’s him who owes us an explanation!” Nergal laughs once again, this time sending shivers to my whole body. Liam softly grabs my wrist and leads me to my seat again, looking threatening. I’m seated again; however, he doesn’t release his grip on me. I’m thankful for that.

“Little human; demons don’t owe explanations. Someone’s paying for your dead corpse and I have no inconvenience in providing it”

“Ah come on” I protest again “Everybody knows demons are filthily wealthy. Why taking so much trouble for a human?”

“Demons don’t exchange money” Comes Liam’s answer. He and Nergal cross dark smiles and I can’t help but to gulp. “All in all, it’s true that you are a human, therefore, they couldn’t have offered much for your head, compared, at least, with what they could offer for killing an angel or another demon” He thinks out loud.

Nergal stares at him.

“In exchange of the boy’s life…do they, by any chance offer a demoniacal sword?” Asks Liam with half a smile, offering said weapon to the other.

“That sword is useless, Liam” Serenely replies the demon.

“Rüdiger didn’t fell under my sword, but an angelical one”

“He was my subordinate” Nergal reminds him, squinting his eyes in a menacing grimace. Liam looks unimpressed.

“But he wasn’t important, or else you wouldn’t have sent him to do something as easy as killing a human” At this, the powerful demon arches his left brow.

“Do you think you know how I think and how I distribute the jobs among my servants?”

“Quite the opposite, actually” Is Liam quick to respond “I just think that is he was useful, then his sword is useless; but if he wasn’t, then what I’m offering you costs more than his life, and therefore, I can expect to request something in return”

“You’re twisted and a manipulator, Liam” States Nergal, but smiles widely “Nevertheless, I still have no guarantee of the deal’s worth”.

“Rüdiger died under Zayn’s sword” Insists him “You can check it yourself”

Nergal grabs the sword’s grip, concentrating. His eyes are closed, his brows furrowed. He might be searching for a feeling, a certainty. Finally, it looks as if the sword has revealed him what he has looking for.

“Fallen in combat” He admits, he looks at me in a mix of resentment and curiosity. I know what he’s thinking about, he can still kill me, it’s an option. But I understand, however, that he won’t do it, we are in a too crowded place. Demons aren’t scared of humans and surely don’t give a second thought about what they might think of them; nevertheless, they love discretion.  
Oh, Liam was smarter than what I firstly thought. That’s why he wanted to come meet Nergal here: it was surrounded by hundreds of people. Marvelous idea of covering our backs.

“Aren’t you interested in the sword, Liam? Asks then Nergal. He shrugs nonchalantly

“Too much responsibility”

“I’ll take it then. As to the name you’re searching for, I apologize for not offering it in return, but I’m afraid I don’t know them. Orders from above, you know it already. We were just told to kill him because he’s the son of an angel. Nothing else”

“That’s it?!” I rebel

“It’s much more than what I should’ve told you. And now, get out of my sight you both before I change my mind”

I turn to Liam waiting for him to answer, to say something. However, he just smiles.  
With that, both demons get up, Liam being the first bid goodbye in a curt nod. I get up too, nevertheless, I’m not willing to leave empty-handed like this.

“Wait!” I tell Nergal “Who killed my father?” The demon was already retrieving, but turns brusquely to me. His gesture is no longer friendly while his eyes are turning darker by the second. I can feel Liam pulling my arm, I think he’s murmuring something, but I don’t listen anyways.

Nergal takes a step closer to me

“I…said…get…out…of…my…sight” He whispers in a voice that is not from this world, a voice that evokes every torment in hell, it that combines panic, anger, hatred, pain and, above all, the purest essence of evil, primeval chaos’ heart. His gaze, where all the underworld fire burns, sneaks into the depths of my being, paralyzing me with terror. A startling cry comes from my throat.

Nergal turns and backs away, leaving me in the ground, where I squirm in the midst of the deepest and most irrational fear. I’m in pain, so much pain. My hands come to my hair, pulling it. I look at the roof: it spins on itself, in a golden whirlwind.  
People stopped dancing, staring at me instead, but I barely notice it, just like I neither notice Liam hurriedly coming to me, strongly embracing me and leaning my shivering body against his chest, whispering in my ear:

“Zayn… wake up…come on, Zayn…it’s okay, calm down” Liam’s voice is silky and soft as a feather. I yell with all my might, until my voice cracks. My hands come to cover my ears and Liam tries to stop me, but he can’t touch me without me yelling harder.  
I empty my lungs of air before I lose consciousness. In the depths of my soul I can hear a roar of laugh from the after death, Nergal’s laugh mocking the pretensions of a young human.

 

\------

 

I woke up at night in a room that takes me a while to recognize. Right, we are in Berlin. My head pounds and my mouth feels so dry it’s hard to gulp .I take a harsh breath and I try to sit up, but I can’t. My body feels heavy, I’m exhausted, and the only movement I manage is getting on my side. I try out my voice, but from my lips only a faint moan escapes.

“I told you not to defy him but you didn’t listen” Says Liam’s voice in the dark. I want to answer him, but I only emit another moan, a bit sharper this time.

“Hush” I follow his wise advice. 

An itch erupts in my hip, so when I reach to scratch it, my hands touch a bare surface. It suddenly dawns on me that I’m naked, except for my underwear. I look at Liam with the pale moonlight coming from the window as my only source of light. He is inside the bed, under the covers with me, one of his hands encircling my waist, drawing circles with his thumb. He’s in the same state of undress as me. I suddenly get wary, eyes shot open, my left forearm pushing the mattress in order to get my body out of bed. I don’t, however, because Liam was next to me, anticipating my moves.

With a tsk of disapproval and a sigh, both his firms arms come around my wearily frame. I don’t fight him, I can’t and I wouldn’t. I let him embrace me, and maneuver me until I’m on top of him, with my face hidden in the crook of his neck, my long eyelashes leaving butterfly touches and my hands gently on his shoulders. Liam hugs me even closer to him with a big hand on my lower back; the other making its way to the back of my head, fingers ghostly massaging the scalp. It feels nice hearing his heartbeat, soon following the same rhythm as mine. He clears his voice

“You were shivering; your lips were turning blue and your skin paler, so this was the quickest way of warming you up. Cold doesn’t bother me anyways” I wish I could thank him. Thank him for everything he’s done, because he’s a demon, he was referred as The Enemy, and yet, he was the only one who helped me when no one else did. He could’ve left me behind tonight, let me die in agony, but he didn’t. He could’ve killed me in several occasions, but he didn’t.

I suddenly feel my throat closing; it’s an uncomfortable feeling because I know the meaning behind it. The muscle on my chin wrinkles upwards as my eyebrows draw together. I whine while choking on air, and before I’ve got time to register anything else, a sob escapes my mouth.  
Tears are cascading down and they weren’t stopping anytime soon. Everything dawns on me at once: my father, the several times I was attacked, the demons, the angels, everything from the past month and a half. But, most importantly of it all, I feel weak, frightened, small. I’m not as brave as I thought I was. Because at the end of the day I’m another teenager whose only desire is to live a normal life, but who was destined to the exact opposite.

I cry and cry, letting everything out. 

Liam’s warm embrace doesn’t falter, on the contrary, his arms hugging me tighter, letting me sob as much as I need.  
And with that, I drift off to sleep: my whole body still hurting alongside with my heart, but two strong hands making me think I’m somehow protected and a soft voice lulling me to sleep.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for the inmense support and patience! Updates will come painfully slow from now on because I'll be swamped by my Uni exams *cries in Spanish*

Little by little, I come back to reality. Dim moonlight casts shadows upon us, where I remain on top of Liam, softly locked in his embrace. If he was a human, tiredness would’ve taken over his strong arms, breaking their grasp on me, and I’m grateful he isn’t.

A sting that feels like peaked needles is the first thing I feel when my eyes open; they were irritated from my earlier break down, they were surely red too. 

In spite of the annoying pain, I find myself opening them wider, and searching for another pair in the shadowy bed. And he’s looking at me already, an imperturbable roasted coffee color.

“I’m going to talk” murmurs “and you will listen closely, okay?” I try to nod, but my neck hurts and I can hardly move my head.

“It wasn’t Nergal the one dealing with the person who wants you dead. It was Agliareth, his superior. Do you know what that means? That means whoever is going after you is powerful enough to resort to very Lord of the Spies. We can’t bargain with Agliareth, though. In fact, we can’t even speak with him. On top of it, we still don’t have a clue as of why all this happened in the first place, maybe your father messed with demons, who knows…”

Again, I try to speak, but I can only shake my head in denial while looking at him with big eyes. His face is barely visible but I can still make out how his face softens. The back of a hand comes to caress my temple.

“You can’t know everything about your father. He was much older than you. Not even him could remember his whole existence” Liam says to me in a soft tone, eerily soft for a demon. I want to deny it all, but sadly, he’s right. 

“The fact of being the son of an angel doesn’t make you any special. And human children have been born from both angels and demons: which isn’t frowned upon by neither of them, and that’s what doesn’t make sense: why would they chase after you, then?” His brows furrow as if he was trying to put one plus one together and ended having three. Liam pauses then, takes a great inhale and slowly takes his arms away from where they were holding me. 

“Take my advice, Zayn, run away. Run as far as you can get, leave the sword elsewhere and start a new anonymous life… or search for shelter under some angel’s wings, because you won’t be able to endure this on your own”

I look at him in disbelief, is this for real? I’ve been turned down a great amount of times, and yet I could bear them all, but this time…this time I can’t, he’s painfully right, I won’t make it alive on my own, but I don’t want anyone else’s help, I want him to be the one who supports me.

He slowly gets up from the bed and in a moment, the heat start escaping the cocoon of blankets and bare limbs. I push up on my forearm, hurting like a fresh wound, I still had the effects of the demon’s attack; but right now, it didn’t matter.

I grab his big hand with mine; the grip was fragile. He sighs briefly.

“It was fun fighting against demons, but look what Nergal did to you, and take into account that he’s a minor demon, his powers are weak compared to bigger demons. You can’t face them, I can’t face them. Goodbye Zayn”

“Liam…” Comes in the weakest voice thread

I don’t get an answer as his hand leaves mine. I can literally feel how my soul plummets to the ground, from my head to my toes, a painful shiver travels. I remain confused, aching inside and outside. Liam’s completely gone by now.

The back of my hands come to my eye sockets and suddenly sleeping seems like the best option, because, apparently, crying my eyes out is not a choice: I’m out of tears. I hit that feeling of abandonment, the same one I felt when my eyes laid upon my father’s deceased body. I feel like a piece of my being is abandoning me, it feels extremely wrong. I feel alone, left behind by the ones that mattered to me the most. Mom did the same too. 

Questions and more questions pile up. A whimper is the only thing I can muster as I close my eyes, welcoming a pitiful sleep and repeating to myself, like a mantra, that tomorrow will be a better day, and maybe then I discover this was all a horrible nightmare, that this could, in no way, be my reality.

 

\-------

 

My convalescence lasts two more days, which I remain on the bed: sometimes dozing, sometimes wandering, but without energy or strength to either move or eat. My roommates try to find out what is the matter with me although the language barrier makes it a bit complicated. It’s like energy has been sucked out of my system. Like it wasn’t worth living anymore.

Fortunately, I start to feel better by each hour that goes by. At sundown, I finally leave my bed and find Zitao, one of the Chinese boys, offering me a sandwich and a bottle of water with a comprehensive look on his slanted eyes and a plausible reason as to why I’m like this: stress crisis. 

Even with his broken English, I still get some of the things he says: he tells me a brother of his went through the same while taking his a-level final exams, and I agree, because it’s so much easier to placate this to a mental breakdown that going through the whole “I faced a demon and he attacked me” story. He ends advising me to sleep it off, do nothing and eat as much as I can.

I gratefully smile and thank him. Later on the same day, both boys and the girl leave the hotel, biding each other goodbyes; I tell them to have good luck on their back-packaging adventures and they tell me to recover as fast as I can. They were nice, but didn’t stay for long either.

Little by little, and with wobbly legs, I arrive to the bathroom to get cleaned up: I’ve made my mind already: tonight, I will leave this city. Where will I head to, still remained unknown: maybe go back to Louis, tell him he was an asshole and maybe tell him to come live with me and Harry. Warm water cascaded through my back, my skin felt sensitive, as if I was being swallowed by an ocean wave and dragged to the stony ground underneath. Strangely, I couldn’t get out of my head the idea that Harry would like Louis, they kind of fitted. 

I look at the foggy mirror right after stepping out of the shower, my hands holding to dear life to the countertop, I couldn’t stand straight for more than ten minutes. Hollowed cheeks and dark eye bags were a good sign of quitting this crazy “revenge” idea, apparently.  
With the aid of the walls and only a purple tower covering my parts, I let my body drop backwards to the mattress; I was getting irritated of being constantly exhausted. My arms stretched to the sides and feet hanging off the bed.  
I get hyperaware of how small I am in this world of giants. A world that still belongs to them and remains governed by its rules, even when humans, in our conceited haughtiness, want to believe we have any control over it.

 

My senses got me alerted in a jolt, with eyes wide open and a spicy scent invading my nostrils I advert two almost pitch black pupils ironically lighting up in the dark; I attempt to scream for help, but a hand covers my mouth and prevents me from doing so.

“Zayn, it’s me” Says Liam voice, and a scandalized yelp gets muffled between his digits “I came here for you” 

That statement does not reassure me, not even one bit. I get rid of his hand and I make a gesture of getting up, but he’s too close.

“Go away” I fiercely growl. What is he doing here? He made it clear he didn’t want to help me.

“Cannot do such thing, darling. I received orders” 

“Orders?” I repeat “From who, exactly?”

“Too long to explain; but you must know that there’s someone willing to help you, and we’re taking you to a safe place”

“Who is that someone?” I suspiciously look at him “Why are you now so keen on helping me?” I want to recoil, but can’t.

Lights suddenly go on and even though they are weak and almost out of life, they are more than enough to allow me appreciate Liam’s traits. His signature smirk is there as usual. His sword is on its harness, the leather piece hugging as usual Liam’s torso, making his already fitted Henley seem like a second skin, topped with denim jacket with the collar turn upwards. Brown hair slicked back, shinier than ever and perfect as always.

“He’s powerful enough for me not to dare to contradict him” He answers

“So basically you’re helping me for fear of reprisals” I indignantly huff. I move further in the bed, anger seeping through my pores. I pretty much summarize everything I think of him right now in a word: “Asshole”

Liam covers his face with his hands, accompanied by an impatient sigh. I turn to my side and cover my head as well with the pillow in a childish way. I refuse to face him; the damage was already done. I shouldn’t have trusted a demon.

And then, even with my ears covered by the soft item, I can still make out how Liam steps slowly closer to this side of the bed, and when they stop, the bead creaks, indicating he’s seated, and he’s too close.

“Zayn” His silky voice makes me feel even more vulnerable. A warm hand cups my shoulder, but I immediately shrug it off. He sighs again, this time angrier.

“There’s no time to waste Zayn, I’m warning you, Nergal gave you two days, you are in danger and we need to get the fuck out of here as soon as possible” He tries to keep in control the tone of his voice, but comes angry and between gritted teeth anyways. He’s fuming and I soon star feeling the same.

“You’re betraying me, I’m sure of it!”

I throw the pillow at him in a futile attempt due to the lack of strength and his fast reflex make him catch it before it even comes near his face, furiously throwing to the ground. Hatred-filled eyes look at mine but I’m not afraid, no, I’m just angry and pained. 

“Don’t be fucking ridiculous Zayn, for hell’s shake”

As soon as I recall that he straight up abandoned me in my weakest moment and now was just here because someone was obliging him to do so, I start to kick him with both bare legs and arms, achieving nothing, obviously, because it was like hitting a cement wall, but I needed to relieve my anger.

I’m whining, resembling a kid who is throwing a tantrum because he didn’t get what he wanted, nevertheless, Liam remains immovable, patiently but surely irritated waiting for me to get tired. I’m heavily breathing after barely thirty seconds of pushing him, growing tired by the damned spell or whatever it was.

Liam, on the other hand, takes advantage of this and fits his torso in between my legs: he’s still in a seated position, but accomplishes to encase me with his body; my right leg rests bent on top of his thighs, our chests glued together, his hands grab me by my wrists: one with each hand, pushing them to the now pillow-less bed, near my head. His face is now millimeters away from mine, letting me feel the ghost of his breathing in my lips. From my lower abdomen up to my forehead, I can feel my skin burning, I’m pretty much aware that I’m only wearing a towel, nothing else.

His face, earlier showing seer anger, is gradually becoming softer while our breaths even. He takes a moment to close his eyes and inhale before gently speaking:

“I’m sorry” He opens his chocolate eyes again and starts massaging the inside of my thin wrists with this thumbs “I’m sorry for letting you down like I did” His face contorts as if it was hard to speak. I gulp and look back and forth both his eyes, not saying a word, because it seemed like he wanted to talk further. His pink tongue slides to lick his own lips.

“It is hard. It is incredibly hard going against my instincts. Zayn sometimes you seem to forget I’m a demon; and while I can bear feelings and actually be nice -just like angels can kill too- , I’m fighting the rest of it” I look at him in a strange way, not fully understanding the meaning behind his words. He half smiles, not reaching his eyes, and adds:

“We don’t give a damn about humans, thinking they are the most uninteresting beings on the Earth, and yet you piqued my interest that night, with your brave façade and determination, there you stood, pointing a sword at my neck. We are discreet, but surely love fighting, and overall, killing, and yet I saved you more than once. Our actions are tough, but I always make sure to be gentler when it’s you. We are never sorry, and I just have apologized to you. Our enemies are the angels; it would be nonsense to fight against ourselves, much less because of a mortal, and that’s the reason I backed off at first; but here I am again…” He takes a determined breath before continuing.

At this point, my mouth is already hanging open, the meaning of his words are slowly but surely reaching my brain and sinking in, everything I, us, went through. He’s right once again, every word speaks the truth: more than once I didn’t take into account that he was a demon. He looks like one of us, his physical appearance doesn’t give away his identity, and therefore, it’s easier forgetting about it.

“I’m doing all of this for you Zayn. I’m reveling against my nature for you, Zayn. And yes, I might be taking orders, but I’m here now. I won’t lie, it was scaring me a bit knowing a human had this power on me, for a moment I thought I was losing myself as a demon, but I’ve come to understand that I’m doing all of this because I want to. And I’m not lying; you know very well we don’t lie; we don’t need to”

He pauses again, letting me take my own time to put everything in order. His hands release the grip they had in my wrists and go to each side of my head, his face leaving mine and hiding in the spot in between my jaw and collarbone. He abruptly stops himself. I think I stopped breathing a moment ago; this was too much information in one sitting.  
His mouth moves as he speaks again, softly tickling my neck with his plump soft lips, leaving goosebumps.

“And the worst of it all; we are lustful beings” At this, his eyes darken, voice dropping an octave; my heart skips a beat before arrhythmically beating again.

“We are carnal, almost primal when it comes to sexuality. We have the ungovernable need of getting…’intimate’ with any demon or human that catches our eye, and like I said, it’s basically lust. But with you... hell, the attraction I feel it’s not just physical: your body, eyes, voice… but personality-wise too: your audacity, courage, resilience…it’s rare in a human. And it’s taking every bit of my willpower not to –ugh” He can’t finish, his shoulders slightly caving in with impotence of not being able to express out loud his frustrations.  
I’m at a complete loss of words by now. First of all, my anger has disappeared, leaving no trace behind; there was no reasonable cause to be angry by now. Realization suddenly falls on my like a pitcher of frozen water: he was born from evil but treated me in the best way possible all this time. Actually, even though it was my fault involving him in this mess, he opted to stick with me. 

On the other hand what scares me the most is that he attraction is mutual. It scares me for innumerable reasons, the most important one being that I don’t want to get emotionally involved with someone and then having them disappeared, dead, or simply abandoning me. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around that yet.

Liam’s exhales bring me back to the present, this time I’m fully able to speak, but I can’t think of anything suitable or coherent. And my reply is taking too long, because another sigh falls from his mouth, his head unhurriedly removing from its spot on my sensitive neck. I slightly panic, I don’t want him gone again, so I do what feels more natural:  
My hands come to his hair, sliding my fingers through his locks, and bringing his head to where it originally was, taking him a bit by surprise as I turn my head to the other side, giving him plenty of space. I don’t know what was I expecting to happen, or if I was expecting something at all.

His stubble deliciously scratches my skin at the same time one of his hands comes to the other side of my neck, thumb palpating my elevated pulse rate.  
Liam’s lips part at a slow pace, brushing my heated skin, the touch travelling in pleasurable pulses to my whole body; just to then close again, leaving a warm, wet trace behind from the open-mouth kiss with a sound. My breathings are still desynchronized, I’ve never felt this way: all vulnerable in the open for another person to see and feel. It feels incredibly intimate.

The tip of his nose makes a straight line in my neck, indicating he’s drawing his face up, leaving another open-mouth kiss there, warmer. He goes up a little bit more, right behind my ear, and this time leaves a kiss that feels chaste, but full of passion at the same time. I make a breathy moan. 

He swiftly pushes off from me, still hovering over my frame with his arms pushed straight against the soft surface of the bed. I look at him and this time two completely black irises greet me; hidden under half-lidded eyes, his lips are shiny. My face must be impossibly redder by now.  
A whine of protest gets stuck in my throat.

“If I continue, I won’t be able to stop myself, and we need to get out of here and take you to a safer place as soon as possible, Z” What if I don't want him to stop?  
This time he places another quick peck on my forehead and gets completely up and out of bed, heading to where my backpack is and opening it. I’m feeling drugged, if the aftermath of his sweet touches have left me like this, I can’t help but to wonder in what state would have I been if he had taken it further. 

“Where?” My voice sounds faint

“Somewhere safe” 

I protest a little while I try to stand up. Unfortunately I get light-headed and I have to sit down again. Liam clicks his tongue.

“Still feeling knocked out?” I barely nod “Looks like I have to dress you up myself” He takes the black denims from the near chair and walks to me, a smile creeping to his face. I take them out of his grasp, annoyed

“That I can still do it just fine, thanks” He laughs and shakes his head

“Turn around” I tell him

“Ah, please…” He rolls his eyes

“Turn around and do something useful then: put everything inside the closet in my backpack” He shrugs and does as I told him, giving me his back in order to face the closet, successfully allowing me to dress in less than a minute, not without some clumsiness, though.

Before I have the time to push myself up, an arm goes under my thighs and another behind my back.

“Wha-?”

Liam smiles where he is carrying me, my backpack on his shoulder and my hands around his neck just in case. 

“I can walk”

“Don’t be ridiculous”

And with that he takes me to the elevator outside. Once the rusty doors open with a ding and we step inside.

“I have to pay for the room” I murmur thoughtfully

“Don’t worry, you don’t”

“But I…”

“I’m telling you, don’t worry”

I want to insist, but I better not. We stay silent until we arrive to the ground level; once there, I escape from his grip and try to walk out, but, if it weren’t for Liam, I would’ve collided face first with the hard floor.

“I swear I’m going to kill Nergal for this” He murmurs with fury.

Just like a newborn deer I reach the hotel reception.  
Either the room is already paid, or the hotel receptionist has been told to forget about it because the fact is that he doesn’t even look at me.

 

Once in the street, Liam calls a taxi, we get comfortable in the backseats and he tells the driver:

“Steigenberger Hotel, bitte” 

“You are taking me out of my hotel to bring me to another one? I wonder, incredulous.

“Yeah, but this hotel belongs to the person who gave me orders. He’s immensely powerful and wants you alive” 

I hum in response.

“That person trusts me, and from now on, I will protect you at all costs Zayn, your life is my priority”

My mouth was agape, I had no words.

“Nobody will dare to put a hand on you; you’re under the protection of two demons now”

“A-and why would such an important demon want to help me?”

“I have no clue, Zayn, but be grateful and accept it without making any questions. Given your circumstances, it’s the best that could happen to you”

I think my face has been drained out of color. Liam passes his arm around my shoulders and brings me closer to him, smiling. I can’t help but to smile too, a genuine smile, it doesn’t quite reach my eyes, but it expresses gratefulness nevertheless.

Half of the time I can’t still think this is real, everything. I look out of the window and rest my head on his shoulder, dozing off.

 

\-------

 

When I come back to my senses, the first thing I notice it’s a pale white ceiling. I’m in a wide bed, perfumed white silky bedsheets. That dozing off in the taxi must’ve knocked me out completely. 

I’m not in a dream, but almost: this place is a suite, and well, it’s all ours. I carefully get up, disentangling the delicate blankets from my legs, I’m not surprised when I take a look at my inferior half and notice that I have no jeans. I walk barefooted on the creamy, fluffy carpet, the touch feels so comfy. One of the doors leads to a gigantic bathroom, bigger than any room I’ve ever been in. I then open the furthest door, finding a small living room inside. This is colossal.

I get back to the main side of the suite, where the bed is located, and head directly to the balcony, carefully sliding the silky curtains to the side, sun warming me instantly in his embrace. I don’t slide open the glass doors because it’s freezing outside and I’d rather not catch a cold now. But sunlight feels right.

After some minutes of synthetizing vitamin D, I turn back, letting the curtains fall back into place. Liam was already sitting in the very end of the kind sized bed, palms together under his chin and a mischievous smile on his plump lips. I slowly walk to where he is, looking him right in the eyes. His hands fall from where they were holding his chin, just to be on his thighs. When I’m a foot of distance from him, my hand founds its way to my mouth, biting nervously my thumbnail. I get fidgety around him since his confession, because on the one hand I’m endlessly grateful for everything he’s doing and has done; but on the other hand…well...I have mixed feelings. I’m fascinated by him, both in and out, and I want him, god I do, but I’m novel when it comes to getting involved with another person: unexperienced in every sense of the word.

His hands come ever so slowly to my hips, almost like if he was testing the waters to see if it was okay to continue. I don’t make a move, I don’t push him away. His eyes soften and he brings me closer, between his legs. 

“Zed”

“Leeyum?”

We stare at each other before laughing, where did those come from? And god, it felt like centuries since the last time I laughed without a worry. It feels incredibly nice. Please don’t wake me up from this dream, because I’m sure it is one.

His eyes shine and my hips are being delightfully massaged by his calloused hands. 

“I’m gonna head out for a bit, I need to take care of some matters. Please stay in the room, don’t leave until I come back, okay? I’ve been told this great demon is busy right now, but will meet you as soon as possible. Oh, and don't let anyone in, either”

“Okay” I get the thumb out of my mouth in order to answer him. His eyes follow the digit, licking his own lips. Suddenly, he’s up from the bed, unintentionally towering over me due to the height difference. I look up at him through my eyelashes to see him coming closer, leaving a small kiss on the center of my forehead.

“Do. not. leave” He repeats

I close my eyes to savor the moment and when I reopen them, he’s already gone, as usual. 

I sigh, looks like I’m on my own again…

 

\------

 

It’s been an hour and a half now, time enough for me to take a great bath and explore every inch of the suite. So far, I’ve discovered that the armchair could be reclined and the wardrobe is big enough to fit me…

For the first time in a long time I feel bored to the bone. I turn on the TV but I don’t understand a thing, it’s all in German. 

The suite phone abruptly rings, blocking the sound of the TV. I warily answer it

“Hello?” On the other side, a gentle male voice greets me. In half-English, half-German, he explains me that there is someone who wants to see me.

I’m more than positive that it wasn’t Liam, but I doubt if it could be the powerful demon who wanted to help me. Although it sounds a bit suspicious that he had to call me, it’s still a plausible option.

I hang up without hesitation and keep on watching the TV.

Moments later, there’s a knock on the door. I get up to and slightly open the door, enough for me to peak.

Outside, stands a little boy, he couldn’t be older than fourteen and had a smile from side to side of his round face, cheeks rosy, dotted in freckles. 

“Zayn?” He asks me, and afterwards he adds something I don’t understand.

“Who are you?” I venture to ask without opening wider the door.

“My name’s Johann!” He tells me in perfect English, and makes a further comment: “I came to get you out of here. I come on Gabriel’s behalf.

“Gabriel?” I repeat to assure that I heard him correctly. “The archangel?”

“Can I come in?”

I doubt for a moment.

“Wait” I tell him. I close the door and move backwards to where my sword is, and only when I have it grasped tightly in my hand, I open again.

The boy enters, his gaze locked on the sword, of course, but nods in approbation.

“Yasser’s sword, I see” He says “I’m glad to know it’s in good hands and those bastards haven’t taken it away from you”

I sit on the sofa and suggest him to do the same. Just in case, the sword remains where it was, my knuckles turning white in the meantime.

“Explain yourself” I demand him.

“We don’t have much time for this. It took too long for Gabriel to find you because demons have taken you from side to side, and if you don’t come with us, they will transfer you”

“Transfer me? As if I was a prisoner!”

“Are you not?” I open my mouth to reply. Truth be told, I’m here, in this room, because Liam wanted it this way. Before meeting him I could go wherever I pleased.

I ponder for a moment. It’s true that a demon has been helping me all this time, and while it is advised not to trust them, I already trusted Liam with my life. His words that day sounded painfully sincere to me, and he was honest all the time. Yes, I kind of feel trapped, being dragged from one place to another, but it was for my wellbeing, right?

“We have to rush” He insists, getting jumpy “Zayn, they’ve got you fooled, believe me, this is product of dark demoniacal sorcery, and you felt into their trap”

No, no, I refuse to believe any of this. Liam is not-, wait

“And how exactly was I…tricked? Or whatever this is?” I ask in disbelief

“Demons have an insane tendency to allure their preys with seduction”

No way, no, no, no, this can’t be true; Liam told me himself, this is nonsense, urban legends, fairy tales. This is far from reality. My head shakes in denial while I observe him closely. He’s a young blond lad, with an alert look and a friendly smile.

“Are you an angel? I don’t believe a single word”

“Took you long enough to realize, yeah?” He grabs my unoccupied hand and pushes me to get up. When we are facing each other, I check that he’s fairly tall to be this young, almost being as tall as me.

I pull out my hand from his grasp and step back a bit. This does not sit right with me; I have an unpleasant feeling of discomfort nagging at the back of my head.

“Hey, I know this looks eerily suspicious and precipitate, but I’m being honest. You have fallen for the fallen angel, but I hope it’s not too late. Gabriel is waiting for you; he’s got the answers you are searching for: he knows who killed your father, and it’s more than willing to help you find out. After all, they killed one of us”.

My mouth opens and my posture relaxes, muscles loosen up. Was it true then? Has Liam played with my feelings all this time? I can almost hear my heart cracking. The child knew about my identity, my father, his sword… maybe he was right. My brows furrow. All I can think of is Liam.

Why? Why did he do it? I feel myself crumbling on the inside, was this some kind of twisted game? A part of me still didn’t believe the fact that Liam had tricked me, but…  
I’m like a Pandora box, being raw opened, everything poured out. My insecurities: Liam was old, he had seen and travelled more than anyone could, he must’ve crossed paths with more interesting and alluring people, I didn’t ask him about it, but surely he could’ve fallen in love at some point with one of those perfects beings.  
My fears: they did become true then, I felt abandoned yet again…

“We won’t leave you alone, Zayn” The boy stops me from overthinking more. “You’re one of us in a way; you know?”

An immense relief washes over my body. So do angels finally accept me? Well, then they weren’t as haughty and ruthless as I previously thought they to be. They are welcoming the son of an angel, even if the blood running thought my veins is human. They will protect me, answer my questions.

“I’ll take my things” I tell him. In less than a couple of minutes, I’m ready. 

Yeah, it’s true that Liam told me not to leave, but he stood me up merely two days ago…  
I reluctantly leave the hotel suite, following Johann to the corridor which leads to the main elevator. My index finger hovers over the button, but my hand is being dragged from its spot. I look at him.

“Aren’t we taking the elevator?”

“Stairs will do, better not to run into anyone” He tells me in a low voice “Most of the staff in this hotel is human, but there are some demons as well. They’ll recognize me, so it’s better for us to leave through the service gate”

We continue downstairs until we reach the very bottom, and after roaming a couple of corridors, Johann pushes the door, letting us out.

“Great” He tells me with a wide smile. He starts walking in a particular direction, but I stop him with a hand to his shoulder.

“Hey, why is Gabriel so interested in me?” I guess angels are willing to help me, but why one of the most powerful and important archangels?

“Oh, simply because Gabriel was searching for you…Everybody knows that, ever since the war against angels, demons are not what they used to be anymore; nevertheless, they’ll do anything to bother us. Possibly someone found out we were looking for you, and got to you first”

I let a breath I didn’t know I was holding in. Finally is someone giving me answers. 

“However” Johann frowns “It would do us good to know who was keeping you”

I doubt. I don’t quite want to reveal Liam’s identity. Angels were going to hunt him down, probably make him suffer afterwards, or even kill him; and it would kill me if they put a hand on him. Maybe I am irrational for thinking this way; but… tricked or not, I still appreciate everything he’s done for me.

“He didn’t tell me”

“He didn’t?” He seems frustrated by my answer, but my lips are sealed “How strange, usually demons love exhibiting who they are…”

I just shrug and we keep on walking for a while until we reach a big train station. Nobody’s following us so far. I feel strangely safe.

We cross a metallic walkway, my boots clanging against the surface. This place is loud: trains arriving and leaving, people hurriedly walking, talking, the intercom making announcements, the big clock ticking. I think I heard my name, but it’s what usually happens when you are in crowded places.

“Where are we going?” I ask the young angel

“To the airport; I’ve booked a flight for Brazil; Río de Janeiro; that’s where we’ll meet Gabriel”

“Brazil?” I ask in amaze. This is incredible “And why are we taking the train? Can’t we hail a cab?”

“Underground it's harder to detect…” His lasts words get muffled by the sound of the upcoming train.

Then, I heard someone yelling my name. This time it’s clear as the day, but the thing it’s that I don’t hear it with my ears like any other sound. No, I can hear it somewhere in my brain…or heart.

It’s Liam’s voice.

I turn back to face him; he seems a shadow, descending the rusty staircase faster than ever. What…?

Suddenly, someone pushes me and I lose my balance. I was standing extremely close over the platform’s edge. I’m fast enough to redirect my fall and impact against the ground. The train passes by in a dash; I almost get run over by it.

Everything happens in the blink of an eye. I catch a glimpse Johann’s frustrated face, whose angelic smile is now a malevolent grimace, sinister. His body shifts, turning inside out, black shadows enveloping both of us. His laugh resonates through my body; it’s disturbing, as if someone was scratching his nails against a blackboard.

“Aahhhhhh….!!!” I shout at the top of my lungs. Shadows shallow me like a hurricane. The last thing I hear is Liam screaming my name.

 

\------

 

Los Angeles || 22:36 pm 

Wh- what’s happening to me? I fell…strange…different…light, too light. 

I look at my surroundings. Where is the train? The people?  
The only thing around me is books, hundreds of them, meticulously stored on shelves, so high they can almost touch the ceiling.  
I’m neither cold nor hot, I don’t feel hungry. I do feel scared, though, extremely scared.  
What happened?! I try to scream, but fear keeps me from it. I hear the echo of my troubled breathing. Turning around, I try to look for a door.

Am I trapped? Was I kidnapped?

Goosebumps engulf me. This must be a nightmare.  
I walk and walk, my feet resonating. The room resembles a maze of books. I turn left, and then right, and it seems as if I’m walking in circles.  
Tears want to resurface, but I don’t let them. First, I need to find an escape. 

It downs on me immediately: Johann  
He tricked me; he was a demon all along. Fuck, I felt into his trap.  
That disgusting bastard tried to push me to the train tracks, but I was faster than him, and I successfully dodged what could’ve been an immediate death. But afterwards, I felt a collision that knocked the breath out my lungs. Was I alive then? And if so, how?

A door creaks open not far from me, but instead of running in said direction, I shy away and back into a shelf. My heart beats faster than ever, so I must be alive.  
The light is dim and my ears sharpened.  
A squeak makes my head turn to the left in a millisecond.  
There are two shiny red dots not far from me. I want to scream in pure terror, but before I can, they come closer, just below one of the lights.  
And relief washes over me like it has never done.

Is Liam

But…not Liam 

At least not the one I’ve come to know. He has his gelled hair, stubble, jaw, frame and bravado; however, his eyes are a bit red, of a mahogany shade, almost. They shine brighter than before, and on his back, besides from his sword, stand two… wings?!

A perfect set of wings, black like a raven’s and incredibly soft looking. They fall from his shoulder blades like an obscure cascade, and they seem alive. In this exact same moment, with his reddish eyes locked on mine, he keeps them upright, flapping them gently in an irritated way. I survey his face: he’s enraged.

“You did it” He says in a dangerously low voice, threatening. My eyes shot open, I can’t speak. This, this is what a real demon looks like.

“You did it!” This time comes in a snarl, his fist colliding with the nearest shelf, knocking down a couple of books, making me flinch. He comes closer to me and I can already feel the color draining from my face. His fiery gaze is overwhelming me. 

His fists come to me, and I shield my face with my forearms with a cry, but the blow never comes. Instead, his fists bang on either side of my head, against the books. After a moment, making sure he is in the same position, I slowly put my arms down, trying to breathe normally. His head is facing downwards, shaking.  
I can hear his labored breaths as well. Inch by inch, his head gets closer until it’s resting on one of my shoulders. He’s a bit bended over in order to do so.  
He’s the first one to break the silence.

“I told you not to open to anyone, I told you not to leave the room, and you didn’t fucking listen to me. I’m aware he deceived you, but you shouldn’t’ve listened to him!” I’m trembling like a leaf by now, he’s painfully right.

“Look what happened to you Zayn! I almost lose you!” His face is no longer on my shoulder, but right in front of me. I am not able to look directly at him, I’m ashamed and frustrated.

“Thanks god I could stop him before he wiped you out from this world” At this, my eyes shoot up at him

“What?” Comes in a shaky murmur.

“He was an incredibly powerful demon, the ones that are still able to use their powers. The train didn’t kill you, so he tried with his powers; luckily, I stopped him before it was too late for you.” My mouth opens and closes several times because, honestly? I still don’t understand if I’m alive or dead. His face softens and a long exhale leaves his mouth.

“There are several dimensions, and the one you’re now in it’s the ‘in-between’. That’s why you can see my true form. And before you ask, no, you’re not dead. This can be reversed, but we need someone as powerful to do so”

I honestly do not know how to feel: Relieved? Grateful? Terrified? My head shakes in denial, this can’t be happening. Why me? Why this? I feel horrible for not following his words. I’m naïve, truly ignorant. I have to say that in the beginning I didn’t quite believe Johann, but he did fool me; blinded by revenge and thirst for answers, I distrusted the only one who has been by my side since the beginning.

And that, right there, it’s what is making me feel dead on the inside. I doubted about Liam’s real reasons even when he had assured me they were honest. He had been truthful and I questioned him.

A sob breaks from me, making me shake. My hands come to hide my face while big tears pour down my cheekbones. My voice cracks

“I’m sorry…” I keep on crying, voice choking on my own tears “I’m so sorry Li-“ 

He stops me, hugging me tightly. His arms go around my lower back and waist. I hug him in return, putting my arms around his neck tighter than ever, afraid that he might disappear all of the sudden. His wings covering us, like if they were embracing me as well. 

It felt as if someone opened the faucet from my eyes, tears leaking non-stop.

“Hush” He murmurs in a low voice, this time much gentler than before “I’m the one who should apologize for not being there looking after you, I vowed to protect you no matter what, remember?”

My sobs sound louder this time with his words. How could he be a demon? I felt incredibly grateful for having him.

Butterfly kisses are being scattered all over my neck, the touch so soft and supple… they go upwards, to one side of my jaw: one, two, three. Each one of them warmer than the previous, they felt like a silent plea for me to calm down. In the silent room, the only audible sounds are my hiccups and his soft kisses.

They soon travel to my cheeks, kissing the tears away. I remain with my eyes closed; it would be too much to look at those beautiful eyes of his right now. His hands leave my waist to come to my face, gently cupping it, as if I was made of the most delicate crystal. His thumbs wiping every drop, while his lips kissed my nose, forehead, temples, eyelids…

I’m feeling pliant under his touch; he was soothing me until my cries were nothing more but tiny teardrops, breath regained again. This time I do open my eyes: they must be red, puffy and my lashes completely damp and darkened. Liam doesn't seem to mind at all.

My arms are by my side now, and one of my hands goes backwards to the shelves to stabilize myself, but I suddenly feel nothing, as if I was touching air. I make a sound of surprise as my head whips to where my hand is. Liam follows me with his gaze, his hands falling from my face.

I try not to alarm myself further, but the thing is that my digits are passing through the books as if I was made of air. In a dash, I remove my hand as if I was burnt and clasp it with my other hand. I look at Liam with big eyes for an explanation.

“Your body is in a…let’s say…ghostly state?” He scratches the back of his head. That doesn’t make me feel any better.

“Like I said, you are not dead, but you don’t belong in this dimension, so you don’t have your human embodiment. And you cannot be seen by humans as well, only angels and demons. You can touch me” 

He waits for me to corroborate it. And my right hand comes softly to his cheekbone. Yeah, I can feel his warm skin, as well as his stubble. He half smirks, not in a mischievous way, but a proud one: he knows he’s right.

“You can also touch everything else around you, but if you apply pressure, you can even pass by the furniture and buildings. Cool right?”

I look at him in skepticism.

“No? It isn’t, I want to go back to my human…me. This is scaring me. I didn’t ask for any of this” It comes in a hushed voice.  
Liam tsks to himself and comes to embrace me again. We fit just fine; like puzzle pieces.

“Sorry for that” He tells me while I inhale his spicy scent, it feels familiar by now. I nod with my face hidden in his chest. One of my hands timidly goes to his right wing, I was extremely curious to know how it felt under my touch. It was the softest material I’ve ever caressed.

I don’t know what face I made, but it made Liam smile like a child.

“I won’t leave no stone unturned until I return you to your human form and help you seek revenge Zayn, mark my words” I want to express my gratitude, but it’s so immense that no words could ever explain it well enough. So I try to express it the best way I could think of.

I grab his face now with both hands and lock my eyes on him. His hands come to my hips in an almost natural way. I don't think twice when my lips find his, melting in a yearned kiss. His face tilts just enough for our lips to meet better in a delicate way. I try pour all my appreciation for him in just one kiss, but I know it's not enough.

There's no rush, no tongue, no primal need as he once said. It's the purest form of tenderness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pinky promise things will get better and lively from now on. I love you all, don't hate me
> 
>  


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you hate it when fic authors update after a long time with nothing but a short, filler chapter? *slams palms against the table* well, here's the opposite!!
> 
> > Thank you a thousand times to every single one of you for your support, kudos and lovely comments. As I told you, I'm doing exams right now, hence the slow updates, but I'll reward your patience, be sure of that.

Most would agree that a murky place where nothing looks familiar and the only source of light is a flickering electric light bulb, is the last place where magic might take place, but if only they could feel what I was feeling at this same moment, their assumptions would collapse under their own weight.

Because it started in a soft approach, softer than a rose’s leaf, with my utmost faithfulness pouring from my lips to his. If I were to collapse, my body would never touch the ground because our bodies were intertwined like ivy to a wooden structure. 

Like fire, the most insignificant flame could start a never-ending blaze, but while I was already melting, Liam was dreadfully careful not to ignite. My lips opened, taking his lower lip to mine, grazing pearl white teeth scratching enough to make him elicit a guttural moan. 

I knew his mind was flooded with apprehension in case he could not restrain himself and take us too far to where his repression no longer existed, but I wanted him to take a step further.

And that is how I’m now cradling his strained jaw with both of my hands, beckoning him closer, showing him that the less painful option was to surrender. Some might think it would be an assertive kiss, high-tempo momentum on both flesh and heart, but oh how different was reality when faced to it.

His big warm hands roam my lower back, inviting me closer to him to where I can feel how the tension on his body slowly seeps away but not fully. His face moves back the slightest, taking as well his plump lips, which drag my lower lip between them until the only thing connecting our mouth is a thin string of saliva, similar to the thread of a spider's web bedecked with the early morning dew, shiny but so fragile that breaks in a breath. My eyes half-open, arousal making it difficult to open them completely, look upon the demon, whose face is mere inches away from mine, and a clearly apprehensive frown on his unblemished traits. 

I can’t help but to bite my lips, because the uncertainty is making me jittery. I don’t trust my voice right now, therefore, body language is the only method left for me to make Liam understand that he can continue, that I want him to, nonetheless, before I even have the time to move my thumbs along his jaw, both of his hands leave my back to take my wrists, lowering them from his face to his chest, where I instantly grab his shirt in handfuls. He’s warm to the touch.

And this time he looks determined, it happens in a blur, but it’s time enough for me to realize that he’s made his decision, the frown on his face lessens and in a predatory smirk appears. He catches me off guard, enveloping my frame with his dark wings, cutting the source of light from reaching me.

In a blink, we appear in another room; which I don’t have the opportunity to survey because his lips are on mine again, and this time I can tell he’s not restraining himself anymore because it is passionate, rough, devilishly intense…

His teeth gnaw at my tender skin, slightly breaking it, making it hurt like the sting of a bee’s needle, but I find myself liking it, craving it. The metallic taste arrives to my taste buds as I feel myself being lifted, and I refuse to open my eyes, giving up one of my senses to sharpen the others. My legs bracket around Liam’s hip, our bodies colliding, needing one another. His hands seem full of determination as they roam under my tee, kneading my sides, taking me closer if it is even possible. I can feel his fingers gracing my ribs where they expand against my skin with every labored breath I take.

The kiss remains unbroken, hot tongues discovering each other, reminding me of our waltz that night, coordination taking the lead, but this time with my moans dying on his tongue, eliciting a fervent boldness on him. I can’t think properly, mind clouding with desire, but even in my inebriate state, I can feel how Liam moves, taking me somewhere else.

My hands explore his neck; it’s addictive, a never-ending frenzy of touches. His gelled hair is now tousled with my hands and I honestly don’t know where did my courage come from but I find my fervor-driven hands pulling at his tawny locks, not hard enough to hurt, but with pressure enough for it to be impossible not to notice and, suddenly, from his mouth falls a beautiful deep moan, which I immediately kiss.

In a movement, he falls backwards to a padded surface, making sure pressure doesn’t bother my ‘ghostly’ state, with me on tow on top of him, my legs quickly disentangling from him and carefully setting on each side of his hips. It’s a satin bed of a pristine burgundy color; it strangely suits Liam’s skin.

I don’t remain for long on top of him, because his hands reach a couple of inches lower my underarm, making me tenderly rest on the bed, my body obeying every touch of his. It’s now when I notice his eyes: there is practically no iris left; pupils blown out, making it seem as two big dark moons. He’s surveying my face, memorizing every blemish, every crease.

My hands rest on the bed, palms facing up and a bit over my head, making my t-shirt rise as well, showing a black heart tattoo. My eyes must be shiny, half-lidded, and combined with my red full lips; I must look wrecked by now. And that’s exactly what made Liam stop and admire my state, because he knows the effect he has on me.

His mouth is on my neck in a second, and this time I can’t recognize him, his before butterfly, open-mouthed kisses have now turned into passionate, fiery ones, my skin surely feels the delicious pressure and it’s confusing the thin barrier between pain and pleasure, both mingling when teeth bite down where my pulse is, blood rapidly coming, making the red spot even redder. Shades of lavender start flourishing as well when the pressure is continued, and suction is added to it. I feel how the sparkle of bliss is traveling from my neck to the tips of my feet; it’s brand new for me, and surely an addiction.

My exhales are melodic this time, short, continued, staccato. Not fully moans, but halfway there. It feels overwhelming with Liam’s mouth on every inch of my neck and throat while our bodies touch everywhere, getting the much searched friction. 

With a quick move, I hear the rip sound of my t-shirt being teared apart. I incredulously look down where Liam has his hands on the damaged cloth, tearing it even more until he can remove it from my body completely. I feel exposed to his hungry stare and I have the urge to protest, but I can’t. I can’t because it’s not an uncomfortable exposure; I’m not being eye-raped, but worshipped, adored. It’s hard to explain when it is coming from a demon, but his eyes give away what he feels inside.

His hands grab my sides firmly, making sure I don’t squirm as I have been doing, while his up and down motion are giving me a warm pressure, followed by pleasurable goosebumps on every inch of my skin. He seems to get rougher from there, as his teeth are now marking my chest. Starting from the navel, were a very faint V-line appears, going up to my collarbone, decorating it all with a line of red and purple marks. He doesn’t take his sweet time with me; it is fast, hot, nimble.

It’s all it takes for me to moan, it’s all it takes me to surrender and voice my satisfaction. But afterwards, his fingers grab me tighter, piercing the skin with his nails, leaving moon-shaped indents, making my moans turn into whimpers. This time it stings, this time it’s pain what I feel, not pleasure.

“Li” I whisper hurriedly.

Liam keeps on mouthing my chest, his stubble raspy to the touch, leaving a sore feeling. I can hear as well as feel how he hums lowly. He seems blinded by lust, his actions increasing in pace and harshness. I want to protest, but his mouth comes to mine, kissing painfully, biting down, drawing yet another bead of blood.

“Ah, Liam… ah” This time comes in a strangled moan; the line long ago crossed to the field of pain. I want him to listen to me, to notice and slow down a bit, but it reaches deaf ears.

He then goes to one of my nipples, nibbling on it until it hardens. His thumb on the other one, mimicking the movements until it resembles the first one. I can feel my blood pumping through my veins to arrive to my chest. I can feel his canines’ scraping until the skin feels sore. It’s becoming unbearable; he is getting out of control, but seems unfazed. His hips moving forwards in rough movements, crotch against crotch, too rough.

As a drastic measure, my hands quickly grab his jaw, making him face me. His eyes unfocused for a moment and ready to curse whoever dared to stop him: he seems ablaze and ravenous, lip twitching forward in disgust. He does not intimidate or scare me, and that’s the main reason I don’t escape from him, he needs to come back to me.

“Liam” I whisper in a quivery voice and, just like a magic spell, it seems to awaken him from his inner turmoil. Eyes, mouth and jaw loosing up, anger grimace softening as his eyes turn back to his mahogany shade. He looks shocked, mouth mid-open and hands leaving my chest as if he was burnt by the touch, my hands instantly falling from where they were holding his jaw. His eyes checking me and the state I’m in. 

“Zayn…” His upper body straightens a bit, and one of his hands go over his mouth in disbelief. Then it goes up to his hairline before threading through his messy locks, the other supporting his weight on the bed. Clear as the sky I can notice his face and body screaming guilt, brow furrowing and a sound of disapproval on his throat.

His thumb then swipes over my lower lip, and I can feel the sting of it, as well as the dot of reddish blood tarnishing the digit. 

There are nail scratches of a crimson shade on my sides, not quite drawing blood, but almost there. My body littered in mouth-shaped bites, some of them barely noticeable, but others will stay marked for days, reminding us of this moment. Like a bronze canvas covered in wine hues, Liam stares at me like an ashamed painter could incredulously look upon his piece, conceiving how his skills betrayed him, turning his burning internal passions in harsh strokes that clearly didn’t belong in the canvas soft material.

My eyes are shiny, but there are no tears.

“Fuck, I…this…” Whispers Liam, not fully knowing what to say while his hand comes to my scalp, slowly threading his fingers through it like if I was the most delicate piece of art. His eyes are firmly closed for a moment, remorse eating him up. His dark wings enclose over us, imitating an embrace. I caress his face softly as I regain my breath, shaky inhales keeping my heartbeats even.

“It’s okay… i-it doesn’t hurt that much, I-I just wanted you to slow down a bit and-” I begin to ramble, not sure how to reassure him that I’m not seriously hurt.

“I’m so sorry Zayn” He cuts in surveying my face over and over “Are you hurt? God” His voice gets strangled at the end, he puts his weight on his knees this time so that his hands are free to touch my naked chest. Fingertips delicately kissing every scratch. 

“I’m not hurt, Li, it-it’s okay”

“It is definitely not okay, Zayn, I could not restrain myself, and look what I’ve done” He looks with a distraught manner to the side, where the t-shirt is now nothing more but a pile of shredded cloth. He lowers his head while shaking it left to right. 

“I don’t know what I could’ve done to you if you hadn’t stopped me in time” Liam says in a defeated tone, however, I deny it with my head.

“You would never purposely hurt me”

“No, not on purpose, but I could. Sometimes I get carried away and lack self-control, it’s in my nature, and I know that’s not an excuse, but I told you already, it’s even more difficult to control when I’m around you” 

I’m left with no words; I know he’s the one who is hurting inside. Having powers but being powerless against them might seem a paradox but is his reality. I have the feeling he feels the same when he’s in combat, not stopping until the familiar scarlet color of blood appears.

Lost in my thoughts, I fail to notice his face getting closer to my body, right on the navel, he starts over where the line of hickeys begins, and chases every single one of them with an achingly feathery peck. He takes his time now, going over every stubble rash, every bruise, every scrape. I get the feeling each blemish is slowly healing even when I’m fully aware that’s impossible. Like a soft R&B tone, his kisses resemble every booming sound coming from bass drum, pulsating through my whole body, dropping when his lips remove from my skin. My sides, ribs, nipples, up to the collarbones, where he stops momentarily to look at me. I open my eyes, sensing him through closed eyelids. His are semi closed too, this time taking the reins of every muscle contraction of his body. 

His mouth touches mine ever so softly, pouring apologies and powerlessness; warm tongue licking the cuts on my lips. We keep on kissing, because actions work better on us than a thousand words.

Liam gives me one last peck and I take advantage of the moment.

“I forgive you Liam”

“You are the only person I’ve ever apologized sincerely to” He tells me, half-smirking. I return it with a small smile. 

He then gets up from the bed, taking my hand in his and raising me up as well.

“Let’s get you cleaned up” He leads me to a wardrobe, where he starts to rummage for something, giving me his back in order to do so.

“I hate to admit it, but I like marking you up” He turns his face to me “I wish it was under other circumstances, though” My face instantly reddens at his words. Where did that sudden teasing come from? (Opposite to him, I’ll never admit it, but I liked them too).

He offers me a burgundy shirt, which I take from him and inspect: it’s too big for me.

“The bathroom is right there” He signals a door near the left side of the bed “Get cleaned up, I’ll wait for you downstairs, in the kitchen, you’ll find it without trouble” I nod at him as he exits the bedroom and closes the door behind him, giving me some time on my own.

The only thing I can think of right now is: will water droplets pass through my body as if I didn’t exist?

 

\------

 

After discovering the right pressure of the faucet, I clean myself and dress with the shirt that Liam gave me. I decide to put on my jeans as well and head to the kitchen as he told me.

It’s easy indeed to find it; it’s big enough to contain a rectangular countertop in the middle, well decorated, and of a stainless steel surface, immaculate. I push myself and sit on it as I see Liam coming from where he was standing in the other side, reading in some kind of tablet. 

“Everything fine dear?” I noticeably blush at the pet name; it’s the first time he calls me by any other thing than my name. I nod, giving him a big smile.

“The shirt looks oversized on me” My hands go up to show him how the sleeves completely swallow them and Liam smirks at the sight in front of him.

Something along the lines of “I love how my clothes look on you” escapes from Liam’s mouth; but as he barely said it in a whisper, I’m not quite sure if that’s what he just said.

“By the way, where are we Liam?” He comes to stand between my legs, which I quickly entangle around his body. 

“My house”

“Oh…” I look at my surroundings again, clearly a too-posh penthouse seemed fitting enough for a demon. Liam keeps on staring at my face.

“Did you bring me here after the attack?” At this, he huffs a short laugh, shaking his head.

“I wish it was me, but no, it happens that I’m your bond”

“Bond? What does that mean?”

“It means you clearly don’t belong here, in this dimension, so you are connected to someone until you go back to your reality. I just happen to be your connection”

“But I didn’t choose you, I mean, why you among all the people?” He gives me a sly smile and a glint appears on his eyes. 

“It’s not something you deliberately choose. Usually, subconscious chooses for you. And here you appeared, in my library”

I ponder for a moment about all the information I’ve been given. My father didn’t tell me anything at all in all this years. I get nervous all of the sudden, realization falling upon me. What if I don’t go back? What if I get stuck in this form forever? What if the bond breaks? Can it be broken, anyways? I don’t know if I can get a headache now, but I’m surely feeling like if I just got one.

A pair of hands slides through the sides of my thighs, massaging them over the fabric of my trousers with caution; he seems to walk on eggshells around me when it comes to physical contact since the earlier events. 

Instead of voicing my doubts out loud, I reach to fondle his feathery wing once again and as he notices, he opens his right wing wider for me to touch it better. It’s indescribably soft and dark. Liam stares at me in deep thinking while I keep on observing and caressing his extension.

“I wish you’d stayed in the hotel room that day” He tells me as I sigh, hand lowering from his wing and looking down; or as down as I could with our bodies pressed together.

“What did he tell you?” Liam inquires and I feel dread creeping on my back as I remember his words, how I believed Liam tricked me, allured me and kept me his prisoner. I can’t tell him so, I distrusted him and as a result here I stood now, in the middle of the unknown confines between what we think is our reality and their dimension. I opt for telling him the truth, but not fully.

“He told me he was an angel” And before he can make a remark on how stupid it was for me to actually believe that, I add “He looked trustworthy, and I could not see his wings anyways, if they were darker of brighter”

“That’s true” He accepts “What else did he tell you?”

“He came in behalf of Gabriel”

“Gabriel?” Repeats Liam, raising his brows.

“Gabriel, yeah, the archangel” 

“I know who he is” He caresses his chin thoughtfully “It could be…”

“You can’t be seriously thinking that he’s truly involved, right? It’s obvious that Johann told me so to deceive me”

“Yeah, that’s reasonable. But it happens that it’s been at least a century since we last heard of Gabriel. He’s suspected to be a victim of The Plague. If he wanted to trick you, why not mentioning another archangel? Michael or maybe Uriel...” He looks at me again and sighs, letting his head rest on one of my shoulders.

“There’s no need in plotting anything too twisted to fool a human after all”

“Hey!” I protest, even when I know he’s right. He smiles at me playfully. 

“Tell me everything you recall from that demon, Zayn. Any detail that could be important”

I tell him how my encounter with said demon went in great detail, except for what he told me about Liam, and when I’m finished explaining what I felt on the metro station, Liam nods and goes back to a prolonged silence. I patiently wait, however, he stays in the same posture, silent, thoughtful for three solid minutes at least.

“So….?” I question him as he raises his head as if he was woken up from a dream.

“Tonight we’ll explore further, for the main time, I think I’m gonna take a shower” I look at him in perplex, he separates my legs from his hips with a pat on my left thigh and kisses me softly on the lips, taking me by surprise, but breaking it before I even have the time to process it. 

He winks at me and leaves in less than a second, leaving me there, on the countertop, astonished.

I hear the shower go on in another room of the house and it’s then when I decide it’s time for me to investigate Liam’s penthouse and my newly acquired ‘powers’. I’d rather call them powers than ‘lack of human embodiment’ or even ‘perks of being half a ghost’, just for my own sanity.

I walk to what seems like a living room, decorated with a big black sectional sofa configured in a U-shape form around a methacrylate coffee table. There are almost no walls; the horizontal surface is covered in glass window panels enclosed in metal frames. It’s getting dark outside, night falls in the city, making the artificial neon colors the only visible thing among the tall buildings, it’s a beautiful sight.

Wanting to investigate the adjacent room, I head for the door, but stop in my tracks when I recall that I won’t need them for the time being: walls are now my doors. My left hand touches the cold white surface and as I start adding pressure, I notice how it sinks in the solid concrete as if it was cotton, I can feel like a tickle under my skin: the same prickle you feel when you submerge yourself in hot water after being in freezing water.

I go as far as my elbow just to test how hard I have to push and on the mental count of three, I plunge myself into the contiguous room.

“Woah… I have to admit this is cool…” I whisper to myself in awe looking down at my hands.

The room turns out to be a dining room, as stylish as the rest of the penthouse. I walk to the further side of the table, running my hand along the lengthy surface, sometimes just feeling the white wood, switching between adding more pressure and passing through it with ease.

After investigating both the surroundings and my skills, I end up in another room, and when I almost reach it, I find Liam already there in just some tight grey smart pants standing in front of a built-in wardrobe. I stop right under the door frame to have a better look at him: he dried off his skin, but from his hair still tickled down tiny drops of water since it was wet and with a couple of locks falling graciously to his forehead, resembling some kind of curly Danny Zuko, to finally reach his shoulders and pectorals and leave a glistening path after them. 

He may not have seen me yet and I use that in my favor, laying my eyes on every inch of his body. Now I know why they say demon’s used to be God’s favorite. 

“I know you’re there Zayn” I make a strangled noise and audibly gulp. Damn. He looked at me over his shoulder, with a smug smile on his mouth: he knew he was being watched. He put a navy blue shirt and it passed over his wings as if they were made of black smoke, buttoning it slowly but leaving the top three buttons undone. 

“We have to go” Liam puts a black leather jacket on; strapping afterwards his sword as well. But there’s something wrong with the sword; it’s strange, I have the feeling that it doesn’t belong there…

I inspect it upon more detail. Wait…

“Did you take my sword again?!” I protest as he approaches me. He just winks at me sardonically.

“You know you can trust me with it” I put my hands on my hips as I deliberately give him an incredulous look. Technically, that wasn’t a lie, but not the full truth either; that sword means the world to me, I don’t want it preyed away from my hands; not even by the good-natured priest Harry whose only approach (if he could even see the weapon)would be a soft “whoa…it’s shiny and sharp…oh, it’s real?!” 

Liam takes one of my hands and leads me outside of his house, closing the door behind us and walking down street. He doesn’t let go of my hand when we step outside, and neither do I.

“Now, don’t kill me, but you know what? Swords modify their essence depending on who wields it. For example, if an angel used mine often, it would then turn to an angelic sword. That’s what we call ‘inversion’”

Now I comprehend that a sword can be a valuable trophy for them; therefore, I was lucky enough to take my fathers and keep it away from his murderers.

“But now” Continues Liam “Angelic swords are devalued since The Plague, there are even a higher number of swords than of angels. However, some demons like to collect them just for the sake of exhibiting them up high on their mansion’s walls” His fingers interlace with mine in a strong hold.

“Long story short, it’s safer with me” He says and I sigh, reluctantly accepting his choice, because I hardly doubt there would be a better one. And I believe him to be smart enough not to let it be lost or taken away. 

“And where is yours Liam?”

“Mine is being used right now to avenge you” He answers, to my utter surprise “To kill Johann”

I turn my head to look front as we walk, human passersby looking through me as if Liam was talking to himself. Among the hundred thoughts rushing in my brain, the only question that resurfaces and stands out the most is why Liam’s sword and no another’s?

“Is this a kind of ‘poetic justice’ that you demons have?” I dare to ask him.

“No” He laughs, flickering flares in his eyes, there’s a clearly ironical undertone in his voice “That means either I want it or not, I’m up to my neck involved in this hunting party”  
I don’t understand a thing, but I can feel Liam’s rage and I suspect it would be better for me not to keep on asking questions, for the moment, at least. Liam was ordered to take care of me if I remember correctly and now that I’m in this state…does that mean he is in trouble? Does that mean he was punished by killing an equal with his demoniacal sword?

 

\------

 

We arrive to a run-down bar, flickering neon sign covered in a vast cloud of smoke coming from the bystander’s cigarettes leaning against the moldy wall. From the outside, slow guitar chords of an old rock ’n’ roll tune playing.   
Liam turns to me before walking further.

“We’ll go inside separately, don’t approach me, I don’t want anyone to recognize you, but don’t hide from me either. Be as discreet as possible okay Zayn?” 

“Who could recognize…?” I start but shut my mouth as soon as I understand that probably he was meeting with another demon and, logically, they could see me. “Oh, okay, yeah, I understand it” I assure him.

“I’ll explain it all to you later”

I uneasily nod at him, he briefly kisses my cheek while his hands cup my face and just like that he walks up to the front door, opening it and entering. I wait a couple of seconds here and take in the sight: no demons or angels outside; just a bunch of smokers with blurry faces in the night.

It’s safe to think that the people outside are beyond inebriated, nevertheless, and for their mental well-being, I opt for going through the door instead of opening it. Wouldn’t it be a bit strange to see a metal door opening by itself?

Curiously, the first thing I notice is Liam seated by the furthest end of the bar, seated next to a tall man with grey hair and a pair of long dark wings that almost touch the ground. My feet led me to one of the nearest red stool and I’m quick to confirm that the bartender is human; hence he could not see me. 

None of them seem to spare me a glance and I feel alleviated; they just engage in conversation after the bartender hands the elder demon a square glass full of an amber liquid.  
There are a couple of demons hanging in a table, a female angel in another stool drinking a martini.

I want to look at her closer, but I refrain from doing so, opting instead for staying in my cornered, shadowy seat. Although, I’ve never seen anything similar: she’s surrounded by a beautiful shiny halo, not the typical round halo on top of the head, more like an overall gleam, enclosing her and her long white wings. 

So that’s how real angels look like then… Well, a transubstantiated angel, that’s it. The human eye would only see a twenty-something year old girl, downing an alcoholic beverage as if it contained the solution to all her problems and with a half-finished cigarette on her trembling fingers. And it also could be seen from the distance her smudged make up and lost gaze, almost absent. Her free hand goes to her purse, drawing out a cylindrical white plastic container.

I avert my eyes when she throws her head back as she downs an alarming amount of blue pills with his palm, chasing them down with the remaining swig of his glass. For such magical being, it’s a sorrowful sight. 

Liam and I cross looks from the distance; he’s got his thumb under his chin and the index finger over his upper lip as he hears at what the other demon is telling him, however, he nods his head subtly in the door’s direction as soon as the elder of the two takes his drinks down, instructing me to exit first. I delicately nod to him as I get up and head for the door.

Five minutes later, Liam exits as well, two swords strapped on his back: mine and his.

We walk down the street in silence. I itch to reach for his hand but first we have to make sure we are far away enough from the bar.

“Johann is dead” Liam informs me, being the one to break the silence after what felt like an eternity.

It’s puzzling how upon those words I don’t feel the slightest satisfaction, I should though, I should feel grateful and glad that hypocrite is finally gone, but sadly his death won’t get me back to my state, besides the fact that now Liam is in trouble as well, once again, because of me.

“They killed him with my sword” He adds “Now if his superiors investigate his death, their inquiries will lead them directly to me”

“So now you are the one to blame? Even when you didn’t lay a hand on him?” I ask him, unnerved.

Liam nods “The demon I work for now is up to something. I don’t know what it is, I don’t really care either, but someone is trying to stop him, and that’s why they attacked you Zayn”

“I can’t see the connection”

“Me neither, honestly, but there is one”

We stay silent for the rest of the trip until we reach his place again. I want to ask him about his encounter, but I patiently wait until he’s ready to share it with me, the last thing I want is burden him in moments like these. 

The acrylic-metallic doors of the elevator close with a ding and I stand resting my back on the cold panels, arms lax on my sides as Liam comes closer to me, his hands seem being pulled like a magnet to my hips, thumbs massaging in circular motions the bony surface over the silky fabric of my (his) clothes. Mine do the same in his shoulders; our noses slowly closing the space between us and coming together in some kind of ‘eskimo kiss’. I look at his lips as we stay silent, the melodic tune of the elevator being the only sound aside from our breaths.

“Li” Comes in a whisper, not fully willing to break the silence, but needing to hear his voice. He waits for me to continue.

“Will we be okay?” I ask him, uneasiness eating me up. I can feel my chin being gently tipped up in order for me to look directly into his mahogany eyes.

“I swore for my life you will be safe under any circumstance” He assures me in a velvety voice.

“But I meant us, you, Liam, will you be safe too?” At this, he smiles at me and nods, closing his eyes for a moment.

“You are stuck with me, remember? I need to stay unscratched for you” He looks at me again while I almost roll my eyes at his answer. What I do, instead, is punching him in the chest; because I’m sure he felt nothing but a faint stroke of my fist.

“For a demon you are truly selfless sometimes…”

“Only when it comes to you”

I shake my head while a faint smile plays on my lips. I’m so grateful I ventured to that shady club in Madrid…

My arms go up to hug him closer, press myself to him completely until there was no space left and I could hide my face in his neck. A strong set of arms reciprocating the movement in a passionate embrace.

Doesn’t it ever drive you crazy how fast things change? From having no safe place and walking around in circles with only the idea of revenge in my head to finding my comfort zone, my protection, under a set of dark wings that foreshadowed nothing but imminent danger, except for the fact that they kept me safe at the darkest moments.   
“Promise me” I force my voice to sound as clear as possible “Promise me you’ll be careful, I-…” My voice quivers, I don’t know if I should say what I’m about to say, but I do it nevertheless with a great inhale.

“I’ve already lost the ones who meant the most to me… I can’t lose you now Liam” My words get muffled by his warm skin and I instantly feel how his embrace gets tighter around me. The ding signaling the arrival of the elevator sounded minutes ago, and the doors opened for its riders to get out, but neither of us moved an inch from our spot. This moment was raw, vulnerable, one of my biggest fears out in the open, exposed for anyone to take, but I got to choose who could do it, and I choose him. Just like when he told me about his self-control or rather lack of it.

He kisses the spot under my left ear, his right hand coming to cup my head from behind as his left arm tightens in my middle. I love how he always does this thing with his wings as if they could shield us from everything else outside and create our own safe space.

“I promise” He murmurs.

Demons don’t lie, remember? I’m aware demons don’t have the need to lie, and maybe that’s what makes me let out that breath I didn’t know I was holding.   
He kisses me, sealing his promise like a sacred oath and I kiss him as well; my way of thanking him for everything he’s done. There’s no rush in the kiss, I even tilt my head to the side to provide him better access, for him to take my lower lips between his and do it over and over again.

His wings retreat to their spot in his back and the neon light coming from the elevator’s ceiling lights us up completely, reminding us where we are. Our kiss breaks with a wet sound.

“Let’s get inside” He tells me as he brushes away a strand of hair falling to my forehead.

 

\-------

 

Liam leaves the swords on the closest surface and plops down on the sofa, deep in thinking.

“They found Johann, they interrogated him as well” Explains Liam to me about what he and the grey-haired demon have been talking at the bar “But that bloody bastard found a way to get a hold of my sword to self- immolate; probably to avoid being tortured” 

I try not to think about that young demon, who looked like a naïve child, being culprit of his own death, having to take his own life because of the fate he could face. 

“But…” I start “Did he say anything useful?”

Liam smirks

“He didn’t pronounce his bosses’ name; preferred suicide over betraying him; and that shows just how afraid he was. When he said his lord was someone truly important, he really meant it”

“That’s it? That’s all we have?”

“Not quite, see, between your attacker and his mysterious boss there were more demons involved. One of them was who gave Johann the order to kill you. And, before dying, Johann kindly shared his name”

“And who is that puppet? Do you know him?”

“It’s a minor demon, not an important one, but it’s fairly unfamiliar. Hittites called him ‘Alauwanis’, if I remember correctly. They say he used to induce diseases”

“For real?”

“Most probably. Humans remember us by our looks and acts, however, as in ancient times we used to change our appearances constantly; it’s easier recalling us basing on our acts. At least we’ve got something to start with”

“So… will now your ‘hitmen’ chase, interrogate and then get rid of him?”

“Nope; not even by a long shot. Apparently, my so-called ‘boss’ doesn’t want to draw any further attention, and that makes me the head of Alauwanis’ investigation. Besides, it’ll be me who your attacker’s superiors will be searching for in case they want to avenge him o simply punish me for not minding my own business” He finishes with a long sigh.  
I let go of my lip, which I was anxiously biting as Liam was talking.

“And how do you plan on finding him if you don’t even know who he is?”

He shrugs “Asking”

 

\------

 

Angels, demons and… whatever I’m considered right now, don’t have the need to sleep or eat, and that’s a fascinating advantage; because it lets Liam talk on the phone for the couple of hours left of night in that demoniacal language; calling ones, answering others; the only word I understand is ‘Alauwanis’.

Nonetheless, for me, not having to occupy my time with sleep leaves me with nothing to do until he’s finished, because what he’s doing is business and I should not interfere.   
It’s more or less five in the morning when Liam finishes his calls; he’d just received a call from an unknown demon who claimed to have met him in Babylon four hundred years ago.

“He went by ‘Ahazu’ at the time” Liam tells me “I’ve heard of that name before and that means he’s probably more powerful than what I thought him to be”

With this new piece of information, he resumes on making more phone calls as I go back to being bored.

It’s six am when he finally finishes and I’ve already toured the whole penthouse without opening a single door.

“So?” I ask him; he has a serious look on his face.

“I located someone who met him forty years ago. He worked back then for Naberius”

Naberius…I’ve read about him; he was one of Lucifer’s favorites back in the day. He’s important then…

“Few demons like them have caused so much damage to the human race. Ever heard about the Black Death in Europe in the fourteenth century? About twenty millions of people died in only six years”

I stay completely frozen on the spot, a shiver running through every vertebra of my back.

“Are you kidding?”

“Not at all. Naberius provoked it. And there’s more; his last experiment was Ebola virus”

I still feel unable to utter a single word. Of course, I have always known that demons are often behind all human misery: chaos, violence, war. But I had the preconceived idea that they limited themselves to inspire humans to act inappropriately, I never imagined them playing God with lethal diseases.  
Demons are evil by nature and knowing just how far they could go, only made me realize how different was Liam from them, and therefore, how fortunate I was of finding him.

“If Johann didn’t give us to a false lead, I’m afraid we’ll have to face one of the more merciless and mighty demons in our world”

Air knocks out of my lungs.

“B-but where’s your almighty chief? Isn’t he supposed to protect us? Because he’s also powerful, right?”

“He won’t move a finger for us; we’re on our own in this, Zayn”

“Great” I scoff ironically “Well, I’m sure of one thing: your boss wanted me alive, while Naberius wanted me dead. And they both are important demons. Something really bad is going on Liam, and I can’t imagine what could go on their minds…especially of a demon who creates plagues for fun and… wait a minute” I interrupt myself as I approach Liam, looking at him with eyes as saucers, a terrifying possibility crosses my mind like a shooting star.

“The Plague, Th- The Plague, Liam! The one that’s exterminating angels and nobody knows where it came from” I tell him, getting increasingly nervous, he just looks at me expectantly and with the same look.

“It could be Naberius work! Maybe… maybe my father traveled the world because he was searching for a cure, a solution to The Plague…What if he discovered something important? Maybe that’s why they killed them…”

“Hey, hey, stop for a moment” Liam takes me from my shoulders and pushes me to take a seat on the closest loveseat “Do not jump to conclusions, Z”

“But it makes sense!” I protest “There’s no demon yet who has died because of The Plague; however, hundreds of angels do; a bit suspicious, isn’t it?”

Liam doesn’t talk; however, he takes a seat in the coffee table in front of me and puts his closed fists under his nose, submerged in thought.

“Well…” He starts after a couple of minutes “It’s a plausible explanation, yeah. He could’ve created a disease that only affected angels…and killed them…”

I can sense a tone of admiration in his voice. He loves the idea. I sometimes forget he’s one of them at the end of the day.

He gets up from the unconventional sitting spot and heads towards the large window, hands on his pockets, contemplating the dawning of the new day.

“Why you Zayn? Why keeping on chasing after you, hunting you down? Is it that important to them whether you live or die?” He murmurs mostly to himself.

He can’t see me, but I nod at his words, wondering exactly the same thing.

“First things first then, we have to make sure Alauwanis was Johann’s superior and if he’s working for Naberius”

“How” I ask him in a flat tone.

Liam turns to me and I can see how his eyes shine in a cryptic red color, smirk already making an appearance in his beautiful traits. 

“Nergal” He simply says.

“Oh no, no way”

 

\-----

 

Sony Center  
Berlin, Germany 06:56 am

 

Yes way. 

Moments later we were standing in the middle of the commercial buildings complex. It was a cloudy morning; the skies were blanketed in dark cloudscapes filled with torrential rain and electric shocks; it made seven in the morning look like seven in the evening. It wasn’t raining yet, but I gave it an hour top before rain started pouring from them.  
If the weather didn’t look like it augured good news, imagine my body. Since the second we stepped out, I got this uneasy feeling all over me. I did not like it one bit. Everything screamed ‘hazard’ from the distance.

Liam kissed my uneasiness away, long and heated before facing the cold morning, but it left me as nervous as I already was and craving for more.

Our strides against the hard concrete are the only perceptible sound; the surroundings are eerily empty for such a centric, important place. I’m walking behind Liam, his broaden shoulders are squared up and tensed. My body feels rigid, my strides mechanic.

My eyes dart from left to right constantly, occasionally glancing behind me, as if someone was following us. From my toes up to my head I can feel how goosebumps slowly travel and make my skin crawl, I’m turning into a blob of restlessness. I threw my courageous façade over the window.

The corner of my eye catches a fast movement, a shadow moving to the right. My head turns immediately to the source of the unknown shady entity, only to recognize it as a cat. It was just a cat, nothing else. And it left my heartbeat on the edge of a cardiac arrest. 

I refrain on walking, but suddenly bump into the feathery back of my companion. A question dies on my mouth as I detect his hand ordering me to stay silent. We stopped in the middle of the dimly lighted alleyway we were crossing. Liam gets on a defensive stance and examines the place cautiously. His hand goes to the knob of his sword.

“Hide” He murmurs between gritted teeth.

I obey him and run to a darkened corner with determination. Once here, concerned, I swivel my head in every direction, trying to decipher what made Liam stop so unexpectedly. There’s literally no one around.

“Liam” An unrecognizable voice is suddenly heard from the gloom “Heard you were looking for me”

And it’s then when I localize a shadow, shiny red eyes the only appreciable trait from within the dark. It was not Nergal.

“Alauwanis I suppose?” Murmurs Liam, standing still in his position “News travel fast I see”

The figure steps forward until he’s right under the lampposts’ circle of light. He’s a blond demon, enviably young traits and elegant movements accompanied by smart clothes.

“That’s what they used to call me. But it was a long time ago, so long that it exceedingly intrigues me how can a demon as young as you be able to nose around my past at this point”

“It’s not your past what brought me here, but your present” 

“You were lucky to stumble upon a little useless imp who becomes extremely talkative when tortured, right?” 

Liam doesn’t answer, but fully unsheathes his sword and retracts a step. Alauwanis simply smiles at him, it’s a smile that would freeze in horror the most disturbed of psychopaths.

“As you said, news travel fast indeed. I already know you made a great mistake by murdering my subordinate, but every act has its consequences, and yours can’t be left unpaid, son” As soon as he’s finished, he takes his own sword out too.

“Don’t pull my leg; I know you wouldn’t care less for that demon. You take me for a pawn in this game, but you are the one who’s afraid of someone superior. What would he think of you if he caught you quarreling with a minor demon like me? Shameful”

“Shameful? How hypocrite of a man who claims to be born as demon but is taking all this trouble for his useless human” He spits the last word with revulsion “Tell me Liam, tell me who is your lord and I’ll forget about your pet” 

“I’m afraid there’s no lord, I work on my own; and apparently, you won’t tell me what I want to know so how about we stop fussing and you finally do what you came here for…or try to, at least. I’ve got an important date and I don’t want to be late”

When Liam pronounces the last three words, Alauwanis it’s nearly above him. Mere seconds after, both are engaging in a fight so fast that it’s practically impossible to tell them apart or follow their movements. Same happens with their swords, they resemble two flashes of lightning that cut through the gloom at a greater speed than a human eye could capture.

I can’t help but to feel panicked. Liam promised me to be safe; and yet here he is, fighting a demon whose powers defeat his. I shudder in terror. No, I can’t let him down.  
With determination, I get closer to the fighting, which is more like a dark feathery whirlwind, clashing sounds like thunders resonating in every alley.

I distinguish Liam in a second this time and he seems to be fighting a losing battle: Alauwanis is faster, more precise and dodged every stride with elegance. He is more merciless too with fervor-driven movements. Liam backs, dodges and defends against the attacks of his rival, but he could lower his guard at any moment, and if that happens…  
I must do something; I need to help Liam, but how? I look everywhere, this is frustrating, I feel defenseless, if I grab any object, I could do it with too much pressure and end up with nothing, just unwanted attention, and… wait-

That’s right! The demon hasn’t spared me a glance yet; he doesn’t now I’m here. That may bring me an opportunity, if only I could…

I get even closer to them, slowly and without being watched. I stand behind a lamppost and wait until they come closer to me.

Liam dodges a blow that grazes millimeters away from his skin, he’s worked up and fervent, as if flames erupted from his frame, he is in his element; however, I can notice how he’s struggling to deliver a strike in-between escaping the other’s hits. Nevertheless, the fight takes an unexpected turn: Liam grunts and lurches forward, taking his sword high and shooting a swift strike to his opponent. 

The second is fast enough to cut his movement off with the blade of his sword as well, protecting himself. However, the powerful hit Liam delivered, made him stumble backwards, and he was now right where I wanted him: with his back facing the lamppost.

It is now or never.

My hand darts forward, hard enough to pass through the metallic structure of the lamppost. I grab Alauwanis’ blonde locks with a burning pressure and retreat my hand just as hard, making his head brutally collide with the street light. A horrible sound escapes his mouth, and he doesn’t spare another second howling in pain, because he turns and looks at me. 

I shrink in pure dread just by how he’s staring at me, his irises completely glowing in a dangerously red color, my heart rates speeds up until its unbearable, air knocking out of my lungs, as if I was being strangled by an invisible hand.

Right when I thought everything was over for me, Liam took advantage of the situation and in a dash; the blade of his sword sank quickly into his opponent’s body. Alauwanis’ eyes die in color and brightness, his mouth opens wide in a mute cry while he sinks to the ground. Before his life sweeps away I can still make out his last words.

“Escaping is not an…option… alea iacta est”

And so he dies, and we stay in our places, letting his words sink in: it sounded like a warning.

The first I do when I regain my breath and mobility is lurching forward Liam in a tight hug, taking him by utter surprise, making him drop the bloodied sword in order to catch me on time.

“You promised me you idiot!” I step back to have a look at him. He has an ugly gash on his cheek, brown locks standing in opposite directions and a relieved face.

“And here I am, very much alive and kicking demon’s asses” I don’t know if it’s the rush of adrenaline who’s talking for him, but at least I’m glad his ironic self is untouched. I roll my eyes nonetheless and kiss him without a second thought. It’s passionate, burning alleviation.

We break it with a pop and Liam smirks proudly.

“I don’t mind facing another evil lord if I get a reward like this in return” Concludes a pleased Liam and I shot daggers at him before he’s even finished. I don’t have the time to scold him because suddenly something pops in my mind.

“When a demon dies, another must be born…” I murmur, recalling the Compensation Law. The idea of an equal as evil as him makes my stomach churn.

“Not this time” Liam cuts in as he takes the sword from the ground: it’s mine. I saw him taking only one before exiting the house, but I didn’t notice it wasn’t his. He cleans it messily against the lamppost and takes Alauwanis’ weapon as well, strapping both on his back with undeniable practice. He takes a closer look at the deceased demon on the pavement, pondering deeply.

“Zayn, did you hear what he said?”

“Yes”

“It was a prophecy. Throughout history, many demons have boasted about being oracles, but truth be told; only one of us is truly able of see the future. He goes by ‘Orias’”

“And what about him? Could he be of any help?” Liam comes to my side and takes my hand, nodding to me and leading us to somewhere far from the dead corpse.

“He could, we’ll visit him, give it a try” I squish his hand in a tender manner, telling him I’ll be by his side whenever, wherever.

“What about Nergal?” I shiver at his name, suddenly recalling what he did to me.

“That bastard probably didn’t even come here meet us, although I don’t think this was a trap, Alauwanis simply took the opportunity”

I nod at his explanation.

“And does this Orias live close?”

“Kind of” Answers Liam with a big toothy smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... thoughts? anything you'd like to comment? I love you all with a burning passion
> 
> And most importantly, are you all liking it so far? I wanted to write something different from what we're used to read. Don't get me wrong, I love clichéd, predictable fluffy fics (I'm a sucker for those, actually), but I thought Ziam needed more types of fics aside from the usual ones. 
> 
> And how are you all? Hope everything's fine! 
> 
> Oh, "alea iacta est" means "the die is cast/ there's no turning back" in latin


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished my exams Friday last week and since then I've been writing this; the thing is, I had a terrible time developing this chapter, I deeply apologize for such late update; I made a moodboard to make it up to you...
> 
> I love you a lot, my brain is fried, so excuse any mistakes I might've made... 
> 
> Oh, some things might not make sense, but on the next chapter, they will, trust me.

Shan…ghai?!

I stand, mouth agape, in the center of the airport’s waiting area. People were gathering in their respective embarking doors, running and carrying their belongings on tow, a human child and his teddy bear even passed through me in a dash without even noticing it. Here I am, invisible to humans, head tipped forward in order to have a better look at the bright letters standing tall in the signboard.

“‘Kind of close’ Right…” I murmur to myself, reciting Liam’s words.

Truth be told, I travelled longer distances with my father. We even reached Tibet once, and that’s why the amount of kilometers does not matter to me. The problem, however, is that I’ve never been inside a plane. Having little savings and with an angel father being too humble to pollute any further the environment, eco-friendly transports such as train or bus were our first and only choice; on top of that, the only time I tried buying plane tickets, they weren’t any available.

Long story short, I’ve never ride a plane and thinking about it was making me jittery.

“Nervous?” 

I turn my head to have a better look at Liam who was now standing by my side. His hair perfectly styled as usual, trimmed stubble adorning his traits, as well as the fading scar in the cheek he got from the last encounter that I wanted to reach and caress so bad. Demons had impeccable healing powers back in the day but now their abilities were subsiding to a point where they resembled human in said aspect; nonetheless, their bruises and wounds still cured faster than humans’. He was wearing a white shirt, first two -even three- buttons opened tucked inside skin tight jeans. I was sure by now his beauty was humanly impossible to achieve.

“No” I scoff, imitating my best appalled look. I hope he doesn’t catch on my anxious tone. 

“You sure?” He breathes a laugh and crosses his arms.

I stiffly nod and straighten my posture “I’m sure” I don’t look at him twice, instead opting for heading to our assigned gate.

 

\-----

 

No no no no no I chant in my head as we take our seats. We are riding first class, Liam didn’t want it any other way and as he was the one paying, I didn’t dare to object. However, first class not only meant wealth, but also demons. Nine out of the twelve seats were occupied by business men – looking demons. They all diverted their looks to us –mostly me- when we entered ten minutes ago, drawing the first impressions: someone snickered at the realization of one of their equals being connected to a lowlife human, while another whispered something to his companion behind a poorly concealed smirk.

Liam stepped forward in that moment, sliding a protective arm around my waist; his eyes didn’t leave certain demon until we were seated and his neck couldn’t follow his stare anymore; it was a ‘I dare you to touch him’ death stare. Under other circumstances, such possessiveness would’ve bothered me, but in these moments, it made me feel secured. Let’s not forget that the smallest blow of demoniacal power could end me; break the tight rope between life and death I was balancing on.

After some minutes, the human flight attendant came, sparing only Liam a glance (I was invisible to humans after all), as well as a too flirtatious smile, alongside with her audacious hand resting on Liam’s bicep. Probably she was just doing her job and being polite; however, even being fully aware she could not see me, I couldn’t help but to send her a disgusted grimace. ‘Since when do I behave this way? And why one minute I feel protected and on the next one I feel so damn possessive?’

Liam, on the other side, gave her his signature smirk; and it could’ve been a mocking gesture, a reciprocating side smile or simply his default expression, but either way, I felt a slight pang of jealousy in my chest. Was this a side-effect of my nervousness for the flying vehicle that was about to take off, or was it just the result of a neglected feeling that was deeply buried within my soul and I didn’t dare to fully acknowledge?

The instructions given by the flight attendant soon were followed by indications of fastening our seat belts shortly before the airplane started moving faster and faster.  
“You are trembling” 

My head shots up to him when his words reach my ears, breaking the never-ending mantra of ‘no’s’ being replayed in my head and making me realize the amount of tension accumulated in my neck muscles.

The seats we were in were practically reclining armchairs that turned into individual beds and their exquisite soft material could’ve been designed for the person to feel on cloud nine, but it apparently failed on me. It feels wrong having your back and legs on a comfortable surface while thinking that same spot could turn into your coffin.  
We are now up in the air, flying higher and higher.

“I’m cold”

“You can’t feel temperature changes; it’s probably below zero outside and you’re wearing a tee” A crinkle appears on his eyes as he playfully smiles, he’s caught me.

However, I refrain from answering any further. It has already passed by some minutes since we started flying horizontally instead of rising higher and a familiar ding finally signals us we are once again able to unfasten our seatbelts and roam around as much as we want, so I take it as my cue to go to the bathroom.

“I need a moment” I tell him as I get up incredibly fast; not sparing a glance on him. I need a breather. I think Liam has told me something, but whatever it was, didn’t arrive to my ears.

First class was well separated from the economy one; having each one their own bathroom. This one was trebly big and it easily could fit three, up to four, persons inside. I close the door as soon as I’m inside, I’m not sure why, but I didn’t want to use my abilities to step inside. My hands shot forwards to grab onto the sink’s rim in order to stabilize myself with just the right pressure. I guess you don’t know whether you are afraid of flying or not unless you ride one…

The mirror’s reflection display a troubled me; dark eye bags, darker eyelashes and darkest hair. Those were the same, as usual, what makes the difference it’s my rushed breathing and shaking frame.

I open the plastic faucet by stepping on a switch and dampen my face with water. Some of it pierces my ‘ghostly’ hands, but I can manage to catch enough.

“You’ve got this; you’ve faced worse Zayn” I quietly tell myself, head lowered, letting the tiny drops gather in the point of my nose and slowly drop due to their weight.

“You are a Malik, you are strong. Just ten more hours” I whimper as I remember the amount of time I am going to spend here. 

I also whimper because we need to find out what the prophecy is about.

Because I chose to avenge my father and find the answers as to why this all started for.

Because my former decisions left me in need of another powerful being who could give me my life back.

And because I’m growing attached to someone I’m supposed to hate and I can’t help it. But neither I can help gravitating, bonded or not, towards him. And the only thing I can ask myself now is: what will happen? What will happen when this is over?

I already came to the realization that I don’t hate Liam, and that I, in fact, like him. He was free from the first moment to even kill me if he wanted or simply dismiss me; but he did exactly the opposite: he helped, shielded, and guided me since the very beginning. He hadn’t asked for anything in return and his actions won’t get him anything in exchange. I feel something indescribable every time he touches me; I can feel it deep in my bones, warming me inside out. And when I look into his eyes, his deep chocolaty eyes, I want to submerge into them, get lost or even drown, I don’t mind.

So will this remain the same forever? Will he eventually grow tired of me? I know I’m sometimes being too dependent on Liam; however, I can’t stand the thought of being separated from him. 

My chain of thoughts was suddenly broken by an abrupt movement of the airplane, a sudden turbulence that has me alerted within seconds and with my inner alarms blasting danger.

I yelp as my arms shot upwards to balance myself in the small space of the bathroom.

The disturbance was short but frightening nonetheless, it made the light go off for a second, and flick in the same way it does before going off completely. The light moment of relaxation I had mere seconds ago resulted useless; I was shuddering once more, on the blink of tears at the overflowing thoughts of an inevitable crashing. 

The pilot’s voice sounds clearly throughout the whole area “…we’re flying over a storm…” The rest of the message arrives muffled due to my own irrational anxiety preventing me from hearing adequately.

Whatever has fate prepared for me; happy ending or not, I’d rather spend it in my seat instead of a bathroom. This time I run through the close door, not sparing a second thought on my actions.

I can feel reddish eyes locked on me as I run to my seat, I feel them on my back, erecting the skin from my tailbone up to my neck in an agitating way. I perceive the same unwelcome trepidation I used to feel when I was seven years old and I needed to cross the corridor from the bathroom to the bedroom with the night’s dark engulfing me.

Once I locate our assigned spot, I sprint to my seat, but two agile hands grab my sides before I even have the time to touch the armrest on the seat, causing me to fall on someone’s lap.

“What’s up with all the rush? Everything alright babe?” Liam asks me in a velvety voice as he relocates me in his lap in a more comfortable position.

Gosh, those pet names do things to me, especially with that tone. 

There’s no point in lying or denying it any longer so I simply spill the truth:

“I’ve never been in an airplane before…” I mutter while I hide my face in his exposed neck. It’s incredible how his mere presence and delightful cologne are making me instantly come back to my senses: we’re okay, it was just some turbulence, and we’re alive.

Liam’s arms hug me tighter, bringing me closer if it’s even possible. I can feel my erratic heartbeat gradually synchronizing with his steady one; nevertheless, I’m still shaking.  
“Close your eyes, I know you can’t drift off to sleep, but close them and I’ll take your mind elsewhere” 

I do as he tells me. The first thing I hear is someone’s snigger not far from us, accompanied by a snort of disdain.

“That, Z” He whispers to me “It’s one of the seven deadly sins we’re made of: envy” 

I smile while he lets a rich laugh; I admire how he doesn’t give a damn about what others think. I make myself smaller by resting my feet on the seat and bringing my bent legs closer. Liam’s right hand is on the underside of my thigh, keeping me in place, while his left one is drawing shapes on my scalp with the pads of his fingers.

It’s been literally years since I’ve felt like this, embraced in every sense of the word.

“Wanna know something?” His voice it’s softer now, as if he was telling me a secret no one else was invited to hear “I’ve lost many memories in order to retain the most recent ones, but somehow, there’s still the trace of my first flight” He stops for a moment, I nudge him in the neck with the tip of my nose to keep him on talking.

“Not a commercial flight like the one we’re now in, but with my wings” 

“You could fly?” I mumble, grazing my lips in his soft skin.

“That was many centuries ago, but yeah, we could. And I was scared, but then I was taught demons didn’t feel ‘scared’, so it was called ‘uncertainty’… anyways, it was horrible. I don’t remember much, only a flashback of dark wings scattered on the ground, probably from an unfortunate fall”

Suddenly, the thought of a not-so-almighty young Liam trying to use his fluttering wings and terribly failing, makes a genuine giggle escapes my lips. What a dork.  
Liam snorts and even though I can’t see his face right now, I’m quite sure he’s smirking too.

I suddenly wish to know more about Liam and his past, I’m not sure how far his memory goes, but ‘childhood’ (in the case he had one or demons called them so) is ticked off from my list, so I’ll just ask the one thing that’s nagging me the most.

“Li” This time, when I speak, I make sure to put pressure with my lips into his skin, mimicking an open-mouthed kiss.

“Hmm?”

“Have you…erm… been in a relationship?” That sounded stupid, honestly, of course he had, come on.

“Well, not in the last 26 years, since those are the years I remember the most. However…” He stops mid-sentence, I know he’s trying hard to recall snippets from the past.  
“I was engaged once”

My eyes shot open, lifting my head and I searching for his face in pursuit of further information. He’s got his gaze fixated on the small window while brushing his right ring finger with the right thumb.

“I don’t remember to whom… or when… I don’t remember much, honestly, it’s like frames in black and white in my mind… but I’m sure it was arranged…” He shakes his head and looks at me.

“Told you to close your eyes, pet” 

With a sigh, I reluctantly do as he tells me and rest my cheek on his shoulder.

“Have you ever been in love?” This was honestly part of his private life and not of my concern, but my shivers died down not that long ago and my boldness was back. On top of that, it’s not that often we’ve got a moment to leisurely talk and get to know each other, might as well put into use the ten hours’ worth of flight we’ve got.

Liam chuckles in a hollow way and shrugs.

“We’re not familiar with that feeling” 

I hate the way he refers to demons in general, I asked about him, not his people, but since he looks as if he doesn’t want to talk any further about this, I let it slip.  
The rest of the flight is spent on the same position. Liam doesn’t mind at all, if something, he gets kind of annoyed if I try to seat on my side and grabs me tighter. I don’t mind it, either. We talk about us, we joke and laugh. Bearing in mind the harsh times we’re in, it’s truly refreshing feeling this lively.

By the end of the journey, I feel something in my heart I can’t quite put a name on…

Yet

 

\-----

 

“I still can’t believe we’re here” I tell Liam right after we exit Shanghai’s airport.

“I know right” He winks at me; raising his hand as well to hail a cab.

A taxi appears immediately and we both get comfortable in the back seats, Liam’s warm hand comes to my thigh and I have a moment to observe his eagle tattoo, I wonder if he has more somewhere else, hidden under his clothes.

The driver’s smile falters; he looks at Liam through the rearview in astonishment when he hears him speaking Chinese fluently; he’s realized this one is not his average occidental tourist and that he probably knows about taxi’s fees, therefore, he can’t overcharge him. 

Liam and I exchange mischievous grins.

Once we start moving, I admire Shanghai’s skyscrapers and steel and crystal towers through the vehicle’s window. The city seems to be engulfed in a hazy gray mist, probably due to contamination levels; it seems as if the city is drowning in its own cement.

 

The taxi stops when we arrive to The Bund, an elegant waterfront area in central Shanghai which extends along Huangpu’s river.  
“Don’t you have an apartment here Liam?” 

“Nope, not here, love” He shrugs “But we’re just visiting, I don’t plan on staying here for too long”

I can’t help but to blush, I swear I’ll never get used to being addressed with endearing pet names.

“Alright then”

It’s midnight here and bustling with people. Tons of fancy futuristic buildings of the postmodern Shanghai rise on the other side of the river, each one of them almost being in contact with the starless dark sky, flooding it with a colorful rain of artificial neon lights and holographic advertising images.

There’s people everywhere, walking, strolling, people laughing, people buying in the numerous street stalls… we break through the human tide as far as possible.  
Liam takes my right hand in his with a strong hold. I walk close to him, bringing my left hand to rest on his bicep as well: now there’s no way I can get lost.

He leads us to the other side of the street, where we arrive in front of a luxurious hotel named ‘Peace Hotel’, quite ironic bearing in mind we’re about to meet with a demon and who knows if he’s surrounded by more of them, these creatures surely do have a dark sense of humor.

The place is truly elegant inside, old, but elegant nevertheless (aside from expensive). We walk to the hotel’s café and I’m still holding onto Liam’s arm, he doesn’t seem to mind.  
The café is sober and dimly lit; there are a few people sitting around the small octagonal tables that dot the place, talking, sipping on his drinks or attending the performance of a jazz group that plays live, and very well, by the way.

It’s the sparkle of a couple of reddish eyes what catches our attention. Liam directs his steps to them, a couple of demons, and I remove my hands in order for him to pull a chair and offer me a seat. I do so and he mimics it. 

This Chinese man must be Orias then. His human exterior looks old: white long beard adorned with golden beads and wrinkled skin, so his demoniacal self must be incredibly older, maybe a couple of centuries old or even more. His companion is Chinese as well, a beautiful woman of long straight hair and aristocratic factions. Her exterior seems to be on her fifties. 

Liam sends them a cautious look and a polite smile.

“Liam, right?” Smiles Orias.

He nods, without breaking his gaze from them. Looks as if he wasn’t expecting his companion.

“And you must be Orias” Says Liam “You probably won’t remember it, but we met in Africa a long time ago. Back then you had another name”

The older demon shrugs his shoulders in indifference.

“Don’t we all? I’m sure you had other names as well” 

Liam doesn’t beat around the bush and instead tells him “We are looking for information about the future”

“Don’t they all?” Orias tells him, but looks at the Chinese woman instead, as if they were exchanging unspoken words. His long bony fingers patter the table’s surface in a soft rhythm “Each vision has a price, young Liam”

“I’ve got a sword” He affirms, but Orias snaps his tongue with certain disgust.

“Angelic swords no longer hold the same value they used to”

“No, this is a demoniacal one”

“A powerful demon?”

“Judge yourself” Liam says as he lays out Alauwanis sword on the table, carefully enveloped in its sheath.

The older demon grasps the weapon’s handgrip and closes his yes.

“Ahazu” He murmurs, opening his eyes and arching a brow. I guess that was Alauwanis other name.

“Murdered with an angelic sword?” 

“I have my ways” Smirks Liam

“Well done then” Accepts the demon and retrieves the sword to hang it on the back of the chair “Do you want a prophecy or a vision?”

“A prophecy; but…” He stops the older demon even before he has the time to answer “I have a theory. I think someone, probably a powerful demon, it’s planning something important. Something dangerous that made him come here to you to ask for a snippet of how the future would look like and ensure his plans are viable. Am I right?”

Orias scans him through skeptical eyes. 

“And what do you exactly want from me, then?”

“I want to see the same future you showed that demon who came to you” 

The Chinese woman covers her mouth and laughs lightly while Orias frowns deeply.

“Futures are not interchangeable son. I cannot show you a fate that doesn’t pertain you”

“If whatever that demon is ‘hypothetically’ up to is as big as suspicious, the consequences of his actions will have repercussions in our future as well. He probably came here to take a look at our world’s future. If you could show him, you can offer us the same vision”

Orias and his companion cross looks at the same time, and finally, the elder seer shrugs.

“Why not?” He murmurs “Your wish is my command, but are you sure you want to see it?”

Liam looks at me and I nod at him encouragingly.

“Yes”

Orias laughs and rolls the sleeves of his robe up, raising his hands and placing them on each one of his temples, never breaking his gaze with Liam’s. Suddenly, his eye sockets turn completely white.

The vision starts in Liam’s mind, but arrives to mine since we’re connected.

Everything around me starts spinning, turning blurry: the room, the lamps, the jazz group, everything dissolves in the thin air like watercolor under summer’s rain. Light dies little by little and I start feeling dizzy…the walls disappear in a whirlwind… I want to grab Liam’s hand but he’s nowhere in sight. I want to scream but I have no voice.

 

I’m flying over a city, I don’t know where I am but the wind is carrying me, dragging my body like an autumn leaf. The place is darker and emptier than any place I’ve ever visited, covered in an eerie ghostly haze, dense, inscrutable in which I make my way and I’ve got the horrible feeling it is trying to mutter me pieces of lost words I can’t comprehend.

What happened here?

In search of answers, I decide to descend some more in order to perceive the state the streets are in: empty walkways between hollow buildings, shattered crystals are dotting the grounds, cars forgotten in any way next to the sidewalks… the city is dead. Complete and absolutely dead.

And I discover immediately it’s not a metaphor, it’s the terrifying reality. 

Here and there, there are human bodies in the squares and on the corners. Some of these macabre piles of corpses show signs of having been burned. Others look like they’ve have been served as food for scavengers, but I prefer not to look twice as to corroborate it.

My heartbeat is erratic; I turn in every direction, in search of any signal of life: survivors, movement, voices, anything that gives away that there’s still hope. But I find none. Nature is slowly taking over the city with moss and ivy creeping on most of the building’s structure. 

My feet collide with the pavement and I run and run, muscles aching from the lack of use, but I refuse to give away to the pain; I still go forward, looking left and right. Dead bodies littered on every corner, their clothes are still on, and it seems as if death had taken them by surprise while they were going through their normal days. There are bones as well.

I detect furtive movements between the houses, red eye shadows with black wings. They slip between the corpses, impassive in the face of their misfortune. Stray dogs run away from them; rats shun with hysterical shrieks.

The world belongs to demons now; humans and angels have been swept off the face of Earth. An abrupt shiver shakes my frame; goosebumps make an appearance on every inch of my skin.

“No…” I shake my head; I refuse to believe this is our destiny.

My legs run faster to the point where only my irregular heartbeat and my shortened breaths arrive to my ears. It’s in this moment when I realize the haze surrounding me does, in fact, talk, because it is not cloudy air, this is a dense bank of specters, lost, disconcerted, wandering for the rest of eternity through a world whose heart has stopped beating.  
“Make it stop!” I shout at the top of my lungs to the void. I stop running, I try to catch my breath, but it’s difficult, it seems as if every gulp of air I take it’s empty of oxygen. I grab my hair with frustration.

“Stop this!” I try to shout, but arrives in a broken sound. 

 

I come back to my reality with a vertiginous sensation of dizziness and taking a big inhale of air, as if I’ve just resurfaced from the water. I abruptly get up, turning my head, scanning my surroundings, searching for that extinct city I’ve just contemplated, but instead I find myself inside the Pearl Hotel’s café. The jazz band is still playing; clients are still engaged in tranquil conversations among them, the waiter races through the tables… 

Liam takes my face in his hands and looks at me in the utmost concern. Liam is here, and he’s not a dark shadow lurking in between dead bodies. 

“Li” I exclaim; relief washing over me. He smiles at me, but I notice how his face has paled a tone. And it speaks volumes to me. How he has just witnessed a possible future in which his race takes over the world, in which they are the absolute rulers, and he isn’t proud at all; if all, he looks terrified.

I want to ask him about it, but someone clears their throat, making Liam separate from me.

We both turn to Orias and the beautiful demon, who both look expectantly at us.

“How is it even possible to kill such amount of people?” Asks Liam in a hollow voice.

“Someone is planning the humanity extermination and won’t stop until it’s done” Answers the woman in a mild tone, as if she was talking about the weather.  
“Wha- why?! Can’t we can’t we do something about it?” I exclaim and Orias clicks his tongue in annoyance.

“I refuse to live without humans. I refuse to live without Zayn” We all turn to look at Liam, who stands tall in his position, sure of his words and locking his eyes on mine, meaning every word he’s just said. I can feel my heart expanding and my breath stopping; I stand with a mouth agape, so full of contentment and an internal battle on whether I should or not tell him I feel exactly the same.

“How naïve” The female demon laughs and Liam sends daggers to her; he looks like is about to growl at her. Orias sighs and interrupts them:

“Please, stay calm” He faces the palms of his hands to us as to strengthen his words “You still don’t know the other version”

“Other version?” I question, squinting my eyes.

“The future” Starts Orias “it’s like a river; so wide and powerful one cannot change or reverse its stream. Nonetheless, at the same time it is composed by multitude of small tributaries that we can divert, change and broaden until the river has two streambeds to choose and run”

“So…” Starts Liam “did you show the demon this second version of the future?”

“That I did not. When he came, I only had one future, but after him another person came, asking for the same thing you two are here for. It happened then that we saw something different”

“Between both visions happened something that created a second possibility of future” I venture to say.

“Exactly”

“Will you show us this second vision?” 

“It depends on what you can offer me in exchange”

“Come on…” Says Liam defeated “We have nothing else to offer to you”

“I beg to differ young demon, what is that thing strapped on your back?” Orias smirks; he’s referring to my father’s sword. 

“No” I start, but Liam beats me to it.

“That won’t be possible, I’m afraid this one’s not for sale” I smile at him for the consideration.

“Then I’m afraid I can’t do anything else for you Liam”

Liam only shrugs “I can manage anyways, it’s safe to think if the vision you showed us it’s about destruction, the other can only display a better ending. And I’m more than sure by now Naberius is the master mind behind this chaos”

“Presumably” Nods Orias “I’ll only tell you one more thing: the second version was requested by an angel”

A light seems to go on in Liam’s mind as he widens his eyes.

“Thank you for your time, Orias, we have everything we need now” He then goes to retrieve the phone on his jacket’s pocket while scurries away “Follow me Zayn!” he shouts as he finally disappears from the café. He’s so bloody fast.

Before going after him, I turn to look at the demons. Orias has disappeared, but the one I wanted to talk to is still seated there. She looks at me impassive and expectantly, with a side smile.

“Why did you call Liam naïve?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” She gets up and comes closer to me “He’s getting more and more powerless with every second he spends with you, human” She spats the last word, but I don’t care at all, I want to understand what is she implying.

She gives me a dirty look “We were born from the hatred ashes, son. Our strength resides within our hostility, but Liam is showing vulnerability by giving into devotion; devotion for a human. Love is slowly tearing him apart until it destroys him completely. And do you know how do we call a brother who delves into amorousness?” 

“Brave” I answer through gritted teeth. I’m fuming over her words.

“Excuse me?” She asks in astonishment with a frown on her alabaster traits.

“BRAVE” I repeat louder this time, almost shouting, drawing the whole café’s attention towards us. I can’t stand this another minute; I turn and hastily run in Liam’s direction, not sparing a second glance on her, but not before hearing her last words, which sound somewhere inside my soul.

“They are the lost ones, sweetheart”

 

\-----

 

We are back at Liam’s penthouse in Los Angeles. 

He spent some time calling people back and forth on this phone, spending several hours with each call while simultaneously reading in his laptop long texts written in Latin alphabet, but in an incomprehensible language. Sometimes he frowns, others he exclaims words in said unknown dialect and then searches in his hard disk yet another document.  
I leave him investigating, opting for another tour around the house. The only thing that’s been occupying my mind since we were back from Shanghai was the woman’s words… ‘Love is slowly tearing him apart’.

Does that mean Liam is in love with me? I shake my head. Isn’t it too precipitated to talk about love?

Surely I can feel my connection with him is stronger than with any other person I’ve been with, however, I can’t grasp the idea of someone being in love with me, and much less a creature who has been living for hundreds of years in this planet and consequently, have met much more interesting people, people with alluring souls, beautiful personalities and exotic beauty. I can’t be that special or unique.

Surely Liam knows I’ll die one day, while he will keep on ageing; his beautiful face will remain untainted from any wrinkle or crease albeit my bones will no longer have a structure, they will turn into ashes. Our joyous time spent together will one day be erased from his memory when it results impossible to contain any more information: any intimate moment, light touches and furtive kisses, alongside with all those unexpected undertakings we’ve been involved in, in which we had each other’s back covered, and thanks to which we could be hurtfully honest with each other. It will all disappear one day, so why would Liam bother about making such memories? 

On top of that, is Liam aware of what happens to him if he falls in love? Is this some kind of wicked game for him? 

“Impossible” I murmur softly, eliminating that possibility of the list as I cross the wall that guides me to the master bedroom, where memories of that night flood my mind instantly: how guilty looked Liam when he saw what his lust-driven state was doing to me.

It’s the second time in the span of two days that I catch myself thinking about my feelings. I finally come to the realization that I like him dearly. I don’t mind spending the rest of my lifetime with him.

In case I turn back to being fully human and we finally put an end to my father’s death, of course. God, so many things could go wrong…

 

“Zayn” I hear Liam’s voice calling me from the living room.

My ability to cross any kind of surface lets me arrive to his side in less than a second.

“Yeah?”  
He’s got the table now full of scattered papers, and a couple of books. His hair goes in every possible direction, presumably for his tendency to run his fingers through it when he’s in deep thought. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbows and he’s got a pen tucked behind his ear.

“Let’s see, so far I’ve obtained the following information: Naberius was the one who went to Orias before us. He also was Alauwanis boss and the fucker that ordered your death on several occasions, one I’ve been told was in Valencia?”

I recall that time I was suddenly attacked when I exited the municipal library and everything makes sense now. I nod at him, but instead of continuing, he bangs his fists against the table, making me flinch unintentionally, but he doesn’t stop there, with a hast movement he knocks the books and papers down, discarding them everywhere. 

“That son of a…!” He shouts, getting up from his chair and sitting back again in the span of a second “I will end him, mark my words” He’s seething, but contains his rage, inhales deeply, and keeps on talking “So far we don’t know why was your father killed, but everything suggests he likely discovered Naberius plans. But let’s put that aside for the moment and not jump into conclusions” He puts a fist under his chin and contemplates the screen of his computer, maybe reading something on display or just lost in thought.

I nod again, not quite knowing how to answer and still somehow shocked with his sudden outburst of anger.

After some minutes of silence, Liam sighs and lies back, leaning on the back of the chair, he stretches out how long he is and yawns, rubbing his left eye with a closed fist. I instantly panic, demons don’t sleep, they do not feel tired, oh god.

“Are you…tired?” I venture to ask, not fully wanting to hear an answer because I already know it myself.

“Kind of” He murmurs while looking at me and I recognize in his face something that I have never seen before: dark eye bags.

“But you demons don’t have the need to sleep, right?”

“Hmm…” He doesn’t answer with full words, but even with the little hum, I can still sense the uncertainty behind it.

“Are you okay Liam?” I ask, seriously concerned. I step forward until my hand is on his wing, carefully caressing it. He turns his chair so that he’s fully facing me and closes his legs. The next thing I feel are his warm hands on my hips, guiding me to sit on top of him, straddling him. We exchange worried glances.

“It’s not usual for you to be tired, I’m worried about you Li” I frankly don’t know if I’m pushing my boundaries by doing this. Am I making Liam’s well-being worsen? Should I stop and get as far away as our bond lets me? For the time being I remain on his embrace, since he was the one that started it.

“I’ve been feeling like this lately, but don’t worry, it’s nothing serious, it’ll go away” I sense a pang of ache in my heart; I feel rejected all of the sudden. Is he referring to his feelings, or his physical condition? I can’t be sure but I frown, nevertheless.

He brushes my frown with his thumb as if trying to erase it, with half a smile; our faces come closer until our foreheads are touching. I close my eyes and lean into the touch. My arms go around his neck as they have done a thousand times; it falls familiar by now.

His mouth finds mine and they melt in a warm kiss, our tongues find each other in perfect harmony. 

As I kiss him, I try to pour into the touch my hidden feelings. I’m aware everything would be easier if I just talked to him about it; about how he feels about me; if it’s real he feels something else than protection or curiosity towards me. However, now we’re closer to find the answers I’ve been looking for all this time, and my biggest fear now it’s losing him… after all this time.

He’s as passionate as always in the kiss. But why if it’s just because of his nature? Everything seemed so clear before, but now I doubt about every single action.  
I whimper when his teeth mark my lower lip. His hand is on my lower back, enclosing even more the space between our hot bodies. I can feel his other hand roaming my thigh, getting closer and closer to my crotch. I put a hand on his chest.

“Li…”  
“Sorry, sorry” He abruptly stops, smiling apologetically, kissing me again, this time slower. I take a moment to thread my fingers on his soft locks. Whether he loves me or not, I won’t turn away his touches, because they are the reason the flames of my hope are still alive.

“Z, you won’t like this, but…we need to travel once more”

I let out a long sigh that deflates my shoulders.

“For real?” 

He smirks and steals a kiss from my pouty lips.

“Yeah, but I’ve got the feeling this is the last one, trust me. I’ve talked to some friends; we’re so close, Zayn. We are going to pay a visit to ‘madonna’ Constanza, she’s a truly powerful demon, hopefully she will turn you completely human again and led us to Azazel, who I think will solve this”

His mahogany eyes shine bright like they’ve never done before. The only thing I want it’s to put an end to this mess once and for all too.

“I trust you” I tell him wholeheartedly. And this time it’s me who leans forward and captures his plump lips, is pure addiction. If he’s right and this is going to end soon, I need to savor every second we’ve got left. I need to make the most of it, who knows if our paths will separate forever? Who knows if we are venturing into the lion’s den only to find a premature ending to our lives?

I’m too afraid to tell him how I feel, I should do it before it’s too late for us, but I can’t… Unlike him, I am not that brave. The kiss turns heated, faster, sloppier; my hands explore his biceps, shoulders, collarbones, one of his shirt buttons pops undone by accident, due to my frenzy touches. His hands are on my back, stabilizing me. I know he wants to explore further, and I’ll be damned if I don’t want that too, but we know what will happen if he continues.

My love is killing him and his desire could damage me.

I unwillingly break the kiss with a wet sound and regain my breath. Liam’s pupils are absolutely blown; our lips are impossibly red and bitten. He looks more exhausted than before, god, what am I going to do?

“Liam, I lo-“ 

I close my eyes, hard. I can’t do it, I simply can’t. I force my tears to stay at bay and my breath to arrive my lungs. I cough to cover it up a bit and clear my throat.

“What was that, sweetheart?” His soft hands massaging my back are making this much harder.

“I’d love to know where we are going this time” I hope he doesn’t catch on my broken voice.

“Italy” He frowns slightly, but returns to contently smile “I’ve got a friend there, Niall. He knows one of madonna Constanza’s butlers, and they’re willing to help”

I nod and blink slowly, fanning my long eyelashes over my cheekbones. Liam fondles my jaw and cheeks with the back of his hand.

“Together until the end?” I ask him, unsure.

“Until the very end” And so he seals his promise with a kiss.

 

\--------

 

Florence, Italy

 

Niall comes to pick us up when the sun begins to sink behind the hills. He drives a black Cadillac CTS, slick and brand new. It skids and turns sharply, leaving angry black tire marks on the ground and a cloud of dust, perfect entrance, honestly.

“Ready?” He’s blond, with a couple of shades resting atop of his golden locks and a smile that goes from one cheek to the other as widely as his skin lets him. 

Liam smirks and unfolds his arms, coming closer and greeting the leprechaun-looking demon before going to the other side of the car. He rides shotgun while I go across the back window and take the back seat. Niall peeks at me through the rearview as he relocates it, only to turn his head and take a better look at my frame, head to toes.

He lets a wolf like whistle and turns to Liam

“Got yourself a nice one Payno” 

“Shut it Nialler” He warns. I arch a brow at their antics “Long time no see by the way”

“Yup” Agrees Niall “You used to wear bell-bottoms back in the day” He laughs

“Those were the times…” Adds ironically Liam.

“Whatta pity we’ve met for business-only matters; I’d like to catch up with you Leemo”

“Same old same old”

“Not quite. I see you’ve been busy at least; haven’t seen a mid-human bonded to a demon in a long, long time” 

I scoff “Sorry but I’m a fully human, thank you very much, I’ve just been…cursed and I’m now connected to Liam until someone breaks the spell or however you name this”  
Niall’s melodic laugh resonates through the whole vehicle.

“I quite like him Payno, nice lad” I roll my eyes and cross my arms, Liam nods and turns to wink at me.

“Where does this important demon live?” I divert the topic of our conversation.

“She has a villa up in the hills; we’ll be there in less than half an hour” He speeds up and the car engine roars, showing his full potential.

“Bressie will be waiting for us, I’ll send him our location once we’re close enough and he’ll let us in” Says Niall after some minutes of silence.

Liam smirks at him and nudges him lightly with an elbow. I think I’m missing something here, because Niall suddenly turns redder than a demon’s eye and puts his sunglasses on to somehow hide his crinkly eyes.

“Is that Bressie guy trustworthy?” I dare to ask them.

“Excuse me?” Is Niall’s appalled answer. Liam just laughs and claps his hands; looks like he’s having the time of his life.

“Of bloody course he is” Niall nods to himself.

I raise my hands in surrender while the demon regains his composure after his laughing outburst.

 

Finally, he drives the car along a road lined with vineyards on each side, until we reach an imposing square building: it has a wide staircase to access the main entrance; an ivy-covered facade and a wild and neglected garden that surrounds the whole place.

He stops for a moment before the gate. I don’t see anybody there, but it opens for us anyways.

He parks in front of the main entrance, where a tall brunette demon seems to be anxiously waiting for us. 

Niall is the first one to unfasten his seatbelt and run to the demon’s side. Oh, now I get it.

They melt in a strong embrace and share a beautiful kiss. I don’t know if I should look aside and let them have their moment, but we have more important matters to attend, so I step outside as well and look at Liam for further instructions. He comes to my side and waits with me until the couple is finished.

They whisper to each other and Bressie bends down to retrieve something from the ground I haven’t notice until now: a suitcase.

“Guys, my duty here has ended” Tells us Niall while he grabs the taller demon’s hand and leads him to his car.

Liam smiles and nods at them. Niall gets in the car and waits until Bressie has his luggage safely stored in the trunk. Before closing the door, Bressie gives us a last look.

“Be careful”

His eyes don’t leave mine and I feel fear creeping on my back. Was that a warning?

The elegant vehicle exits the gates just as fast and the only thing left is a thick cloud of dust.

 

Liam and I stand outside the doors, which open to reveal a human butler.

“Welcome to Villa Diavola” He tells us (mostly Liam) with a creepy smile. He opens further the door to let us in, and guides us through a dark, carpeted red corridor. We climb stairs and cross another corridor. 

There are humans and demons alike everywhere; some dressed as butlers, others with rags. The ones that dare to look at us do it with certain interest. We finally enter a large room which walls are lined with tapestries that look like they are centuries old. A single window opens on the west side of the room, where the twilight shine escapes. All the people in the room turn to the door upon hearing us arrive. We advance after the butler, who makes his way among the people, determined, to the platform that rises next to the wall.

Again, there are humans and demons all over the room; it looks like a court assembled around a single person. And said person is sitting on his throne in front of us, wrapped in clothes that went out of fashion two centuries ago. Their huge wings flow over the back of their seat, like a layer of black velvet.  
Madonna Constanza

“Madonna” Announces the butler “you have visitors” He points at us before continuing “Young demon Liam here wants to ask you about Azazel”

Liam frowns, I look disconcerted at him; he didn’t spare a word to the butler, how does he know?

The other demons cross complicit glances and sketch funny smiles on their faces. Some people watch Liam and anyone would say that they are calculating his remaining minutes of life, as if he was a sheep that had come to interrogate a hungry wolf. This gives me really bad vibes.

The demon straightens in the seat.

“Pay my respects, Madonna” Murmurs Liam with a brief bow.

“Oh, young Liam” Repeats her; her voice is slow, serene and reflective “you came here to ask for Azazel, right?” and smiles.

Azazel was one of the demons that broke the rules in ancient times; one of the demons who sought pleasure in forbidden creatures and begat a cursed race ... and who were severely punished for it.

Suddenly a startling, almost awe-inspiring silence reigns. No one smiles anymore; even the butler is shaken, trembling

“Well…” She continues “You found her” She points at herself.

I can feel how Liam straightens his posture; he wasn’t expecting this at all. He opens and closes his mouth without muttering a word, simply looks at her, without ever believing what he has just heard. I watch her too, in awe and then she looks back at me and sweetly smiles.

Liam steps forward, ready to unsheathe his word any moment now.

“Oh, don’t worry young demon, I am indebted to you”

“In debt with me?” He repeats, somewhat disconcerted, while among the demons of the court rises a murmur of disappointment “why?”

“Because you have brought him with you” Smiles madonna Constanza; who gets up on her feet and looks at me again, only me, as if nothing else existed.

“Oh, my dear Zayn, where have you been all this time?” She asks me in a sweet tone “I’ve been looking for you for fifteen years…”

This can’t be true, this can’t be happening. I can’t believe it.

“You…you…no…” I stammer awkwardly.

“No what, honey?” She asks, giving me a smile full of bitter irony “I’m not your mother, you want to say? I’m afraid I am, my sweet Zayn…much to my regret”  
I stand there, petrified, looking at every direction. Is this some kind of cruel joke? She does have the same iris color as mine, but aside from that, it’s impossible. It simply can’t be.  
I recover enough to answer back.

“You’re lying, my mother was human, and she’s dead”

Madonna Constanza…or Azazel… arches a brow at me.

“Oh, really? Did your father tell you so? I’m honestly very surprised that your father dared to lie to you about this… He left me and took you with him”  
I refuse to believe a word she says. My father would sadden at the very mention of my mother; it hurt him talking about her because she was no longer among us. I can’t imagine my father leaving my mother behind. He loved her dearly. That’s why she can’t be alive, and much less a demon. It can’t be the truth.

I would like to rebut her arguments, but I have no way to do it. I stand there, silent, waiting for her next move.

Azazel suspires.

“It was a blood-soaked battle… my sword fell from my grip…I challenged him with my eyes, but he didn’t kill me; instead, he tended my cuts and healed my wounds, I found shelter under his dark wings. We retired to live in a beautiful place, located somewhere in Africa, and there we simply lived. By his side, I felt something I’ve never experimented with any demon. With him, I felt complete” She paused “And so we decided to go against the rules and have a child. A beautiful son, born from a demon and an angel”  
I shake my head as she keeps on talking.

“My precious son, I wanted so bad to watch you grow, so handsome and strong” She touches my chin and I can hear Liam’s growl behind me.

“But your father betrayed me; he kidnapped and separated you from me when you were three years old. I never forgave him. Since that very moment, I spent fifteen years searching for you. Zayn, I’ve been sending people in search parties throughout the whole globe. Until they claimed to having found you in Central Europe, but it wasn’t you…”

“Wait” I exclaim then “The boy, they kidnapped a boy in the same petrol station in Poland I was when they killed my father…”

“Yes, and he wasn’t you, if I….” She keeps on talking but I don’t listen to her words because the puzzle pieces begin to fit in, one after the other, shaping the picture of the terrifying truth that I have been chasing for so long, but that now I wish I’ve never found.

“You…killed my father?” I stammer, horrified.

My whole body is shaking, Azazel merely shrugs.

“Not personally, but yes, I did order his death. He was nothing more than a liar and a traitor; he found my Achilles’ heel and approached me with the sole intention of seducing me to beget a half blood son”

“Liar!” I shout at her 

“My father wasn’t like that, and you…you are a monster!” I burst with fury.

She laughs.

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and now a lover for another…”

“What?” I exclaim, incredulous.

Her words are not directed to me, but to Liam. In the blink of an eye, he’s surrounded by demoniacal swords pointing at him.

“Liam!” Someone grabs my hands from behind, twisting my arms forcefully on my back, impeding me from running to his side. I struggle against them, but they are too strong.  
Liam looks seething, he raises his hands and his face distorts in a grimace of rage, never tearing his gaze from where it is locked on hers. Azazel smiles again and walks around me in circles.

“Take away his swords” 

Her subordinates remove both his weapons while he stands still, not moving a muscle. I’m praying for him to run, escape, and do something before it’s too late, but he doesn’t budge.

She comes closer to me while still looking at Liam.

“How endearing…” Murmurs Azazel to herself with irony. She turns to me, grabbing vigorously my jaw with her cold hand, tipping my head towards the demon’s direction.  
“I’ll show you something more powerful than a demon’s spell, look” 

With the flick of his hand, one of her guards draws a small dagger from their pocket and swiftly dashes it through Liam’s hand, drawing blood.

A scream echoes in the spaciousness of the hall, and it’s not coming from Liam, but from me. My demon is standing still, as if they touched his hand with a feather, he just frowns and breathes irregularly. 

“Please, don’t hurt him” I beg to who presumably seems to be my mother.

“But Zayn, my sweet child, don’t you see it? Sticks and stones may break his bones, but what’s truly sucking his powers and essence it’s true love” Her hand grabs my jaw again, this time hard enough for her nails to dig into my skin. I take a closer look at him: he seems to be making a huge effort to stand on his feet, his skin seems paler and his magnificent wings have lost some feathers.

He ducks his head down in defeat, like a child that’s been caught doing what he shouldn’t.

So he does feel the same then. He knew it all along, and yet he did nothing to stop it. Realization dawns on me in a second, and my breath catches in my throat. 

I open and close my mouth several times, no sound comes from them.

“Liam…”

“Zayn…” He sighs, looking at me, and it’s now when I finally know what he truly feels.

“I'm so…” I don’t have the time to continue, as he seems to have been hit in the stomach.

“Don’t” He mutters. 

Azazel gets her hands of me and her evil laugh makes the walls shake

“See? Love is tearing him apart… Demos claim to be tough, strong, invincible, but they are the weakest creatures when it comes to love…”

With another movement, she orders the demons to take Liam out of the room at sword point. My anxiety rises.

“Wait, wait!” I protest “Where are you taking him?! Please, please don’t hurt him, please” Tears are seconds away from spilling over, my wrists are hurting from the strong hold on them, but that doesn’t stop me from struggling against them.

“Don’t worry, remember that I need him alive if I don’t want to lose you, since you’re still bonded to him… but be careful, or you might be the one who ends him…”

She laughs and I stand there, looking how they take a defeated Liam out of the room. I can feel our bond stretching. It hurts.

“Li…” I kneel down on the ground, my legs giving in. They are no longer keeping me in place, it’s futile.

“Let’s go my dear, we have lots of things to do…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to: coconutsprinkles23, Leo_blaugrana10, alinoy, TumbleFallFly, FreeBeerToday, nova_elliot, FakeConservator, zayniekins, SmileMyZiamx, bobloblawrox, Zayn_McPayne, Bells_hells, freakybb2, writingmyself, Neymessi_Ziam, Aplus0608, FluffyPieCake, delenadarti, alabamajoan, ZenMlek (and 71 mysterious guests) for hitting that 'kudos' button, I appreciate it a lot, you have no idea how thankful I am !
> 
> But special shout out to Rema, Zayn_McPayne, freakybb2, Neymessi_Ziam, Bells_hells, zayniekins, SmileMyZiamx, whatever-01, alabamajoan and ZenMlek for such lovely comments that left my smiling for hours and kept me going forward with this fic !!! I love you to bits
> 
> In general, thank you for putting up with this mess of words I dare to call "Ziam fic" *gets emotional*
> 
> Anyways, next chapter is the last one, don't worry, I'll make up to you all. It includes everything: fluff, smut, drama... you name it...


	8. Final Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if there's anyone still reading this; but I want to apologize profoundly. I got absorbed by University and afterwards I lost motivation about this fic; but after some comments and a lovely couple of anons on Tumblr I decided to give this fic the ending it deserved. So yeah, thank you again from the bottom of my heart, I love you all!

Something cold slides through my cheek as I stay kneeled in the center or the floor’s marbled surface; and a lone teardrop slides through my cheek but I harshly dismiss it with the trembling back of my hand. My gaze remains unfocused in the direction in which Liam was taken away.

“Don’t worry sunshine, he won’t suffer. I just want to make sure you stay here, with us” Her bony hand creeps on my shoulder, but I shove it as I get up; my vision focuses again.

“What if I don’t want to stay?” I try to sound as clear as possible.

“I’m afraid you have no other option, for Liam is your bond and you must remain within said bond’s reach. Oh and let me remind you; my patience is wearing thin and I know how to make a demon suffer without killing them” Her voice pierces through me like poisoned darts; I despise her. It’s impossible for her to be my mother.

And if she is, I don’t care. I hadn’t met her. I don’t remember her. For me, she’s nothing but my father’s assassin and the one who’s keeping prisoner my demon. And now I suddenly realize what brought me here: revenge.

“I’ll kill you” I assure her, outraged. She tips her head backwards and laughs devilishly.

“And how do you plan on doing so, my child?”

I close my eyes for a moment. Given the circumstances I’m in, there’s nothing for me to do. I could not battle against such elder demon; and escaping was not an option because not only my connection with Liam won’t allow me to go further than the mansion’s limits, but I won’t leave Liam alone either.

Liam.

By thinking about him, with my eyes closed, I can feel something; something new but faint. It is a warm feeling. I’m sure if I concentrate enough and follow it, it will lead me to where he is; it’s our bond.

I’m shortly interrupted by a fake sigh. I open my eyes to see Azazel with her hands on her hips and shaking her head in disgust.

“Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t fall in love. It’s a cruel mirage. You’ve been seeking something that could fill that void” She approaches me and puts her hand where my heart is.

I back away from her touch.

“You’ve been starved for affection for such a long time…” She says in a fake sweet tone.

“You don’t know me” I reply harshly.

 “We may have spent many years apart Zayn, but I know you. And I also know demons. Take into consideration something; sweetheart… our way of falling in love has nothing to do with the way humans fall. We are carnal, material. He’s mostly in ‘love’ with your body”

I look at her bewildered, waiting for her to explain further.

“And once he’s tasted it, he won’t stop… oh and be careful when the time comes, because he will hurt you. Physically and emotionally” She steps closer to me. I now can take a better look at her features; she has a wild look; eyes permanently open and reddish, mouth turned upside in one of the sides as it was stitched there; I can see insanity in her eyes, there is no other word to describe it.

“Has he already bed you? If so, I am certain he didn’t ask for permission” I step backwards, but she keeps on coming closer, lowering the tone of her voice.

“I bet he hurt you and he certainly liked it; humans are scrawny, your skin bruises instantly, your blood vessels are ready to outbreak at any given moment and we are kind of…masochists let’s say…a false movement and he could have your neck broken in two without being conscious of it”

I shake my head heatedly.

She nods and continues “It is true my dear, and…let’s imagine for a moment you two can be together. What will happen when your skin wrinkles and you hair turns white? He is a demon; he doesn’t age as fast; a human year for you can be three hundred for us, if not more. One day you will turn to ashes, son, while he will still be young, finding a better someone who is a demon; someone who complements him, not weakens his every fiber. Someone who he can be complete with”

To say I am furious would be an understatement. I can feel something crawling under my skin; certainly, I can also sense the bitter taste of the truth in my tongue but also the disdain and disrespect in which Azazel swims.

Not being ready to face the reality I’m in, the lone feeling of impotence that has been making its way to the back of my mind is rapidly dethroned by pure ire, wrath.

I attempt to think critically, to see behind the lies, but it’s futile right now.

I clench my fists on my sides: my biological mother is the sole reason of this fury I am consumed by; and she’s right in front of me. My eyes are definitely clouded with anger, so I push her with all my strength, catching her by surprise. She lets out a cry of astonishment while my hand goes to fetch my sword, but it isn’t there.

A low growl makes it way to my throat; I don’t know if I would have done anything with it, anyways, I’m cruising by the sole force of my anger, not thinking at all.

“Guards!” She commands to the empty room, trying to get up, but hissing, not being able to do so. I don’t know if someone heard her; I just head to the door in a dash, luckily managing to leave the room before anyone enters it.

I run and run until I find myself in a corridor drowned in the moon’s light due to the multiple wooden windows on the right side. Night has fallen over Florence; humans are sleeping now, while some demons might be dismissed to their respective rooms, the mansion won’t be as crowded as it was when we first entered, but it’s still dangerous to be roaming without a particular direction.

I don’t know where I’m heading; I’m just aware of the anger slowly seeping of, being transformed in fear: the dread of having done what I’ve done and of not knowing where I am. The first person that comes into my mind in my times of need is Liam, but I don’t know where he must be.

My legs keep on running.

I could follow our bond but I’m too scared to concentrate on anything else that isn’t escaping. I just know that my body is going through walls and doors, chairs and tables.

The ‘palazzo’ resembles more a maze than an actual building; it’s been five minutes since I escaped and I have the feeling I’ve been running in circles since then. I stop for a moment in an empty room full of paintings to catch my breath. With my hands on my shaky knees, my heavy breaths echo in the walls of the pristine room. I feel my heart threatening to leave my ribcage and it’s now when I realize what I’ve just done.

I’ve pushed a demon. Not any demon, but an important one; someone who had a strong hold on Liam’s wellbeing, on Liam’s life.

I whimper as I look everywhere, where should I go? What if I hide and they torture Liam in order to get to me? I would never forgive me if that was to happen.

A sudden ruckus makes me stop breathing. It’s too faint to be near me, but still audible. It sounds like a metallic sound colliding against a marbled surface, and then followed by a large number of feet walking.

My feet regain their speed, leading me further from the ruckus. I must find a solution, but where?

I come face first with a fly of stone stairs which humidity and amount of moss indicates there must be an underground room. I race downstairs, tripping, almost falling. It is dark, cold, but somehow my heart feels warm. It’s difficult to explain; I assure myself it’s not a heart attack before walking further. Under other circumstances, I would be terrified of lurking in such eerie place, but the mere thought of a demon looking me right at the eyes and consuming what’s left of live from me, it’s much more intimidating.

A faint horizontal line of light can be seen on the ground. I guess there’s a door there and light’s coming from under it. What if there’s someone behind the door? I pluck up my courage in a second, and in an act of boldness, I cross the door.

My eyes squint, ready to face a horrific ending, but nothing comes. There’s no one here.

It’s a gigantic room full of… swords. There are several hundreds of them, attached to the walls and ceiling. Angelic essence flows through the whole place. Some have lost their essence over the time because of the lack of use; but others, the most recent ones, are still ‘warm’, still alive.

I crank up my neck to take a better look. Those swords once belonged to an angel; and if they are here, it means those were the prizes of hundreds of combats. But then I see a space on the wall, it’s peculiar, because the whole room is filled with weapons except for that little white spot. It’s empty and waiting for it to be filled.

“Zayn”

I hastily turn in every direction, almost straining a muscle. I get alerted within seconds. There’s no one in sight.

“Come closer” Says the same deep, imperious and scary voice.

“Who are you?” I ask; intimidated. “And where are you?”

The unknown source of the voice laughs.

“Someone who’s been protecting you for some time now”

I turn my head again and shriek in surprise. There’s a shadow. A dark shadow with a silhouette that’s vaguely similar to a human’s, except for the dark set of wings. These are not like Liam’s, these falls like a cascade over the demon’s back until they touch the ground.

 It is floating over the floor. Albeit the dark complexion, two red eyes, redder than Hell’s heart, look at me in apathy. It’s a demon, a demon in its true shape. A demon without a human embodiment, the true essence of a demon.

“Who are you?”

“You may have heard of me before. My name’s Lucifer”

Lucifer? Did I hear right? Am I dreaming? The ruler of the underworld, Haven’s Great Duke is in front of me. His power and glory are incomparable with those of no one else in the demonic world. And he’s here, talking to me.

“I don’t tend to waste my time on humans and much less slide in secret like a thief inside the mansion of a demon fallen in disgrace. So I hope you understand that if I’m doing this, it’s because of an extremely important matter. Do you understand so?”

I nod, but it is being hard for my neurons to connect two plus two.

“I ordered Liam to protect you” He reveals to me, to my utter surprise “Luck is on your side, young human. If you were fully vanished, I would have killed Liam immediately.

So he was Liam’s mysterious boss, I still can’t believe a thing. He continues:

“Thanks to Liam I obtained valuable information concerning the identity and plans of my enemies”

“Enemies?”

“There have been demons who have lost their minds, brothers and sisters alike whose delusional minds have gone overdrive with the centuries and they no longer can comprehend the importance of humans and angels; they’re threatening to destroy Earth’s balance. Some of them are trying to eliminate human race completely; their leader is Naberius and it was Liam who warned me, while others want to exterminate angels with The Plague”

I look at him puzzled, little by little, everything starts making sense.

“But…I…” I start speaking, nevertheless Lucifer continues.

“You don’t understand how important you are Zayn. You were one of the few born from an angel and a demon”

I gasp; so it’s legitimate then.

“Demons are punished from procreating with angels, taking their children away. On top of it, your mother is unstable, dangerous and too audacious since she was condemned centuries ago. She lost her mind; so while I understand the reason why your father took you away to protect you from your mother, we still couldn’t let you escape”

A cold shock travels through my bloodstream in a second; I’m frozen in the spot with his words. Everything was true, my father wanted to protect me. And that’s the reason we were constantly travelling all around the globe. He was hiding from them; he was looking after me. My eyes sting with the memories of my father.

“But-“

“I’m not finished son” He snarls “She sent a party to hunt down your father. They followed you two for years; Yasser was good at searching sacred places in which demons are not allowed to step; until he lowered his guard. Nevertheless, she wasn’t the one behind your every step. It was the Demoniacal Council. They could not let you roam free, half demon half angel. And when they finally found you, you were with a minor demon”

_Liam_

He steps closer to me and I warily watch his every move.

“You were trying to investigate who was behind your father’s death when they attacked you and almost killed you. Before that, I ordered Liam to protect you, but apparently he neglected my command. I wanted to protect you because you were being useful after all. You and Liam recollected some essential information for me and ended being a threat for Naberius, so he wanted you dead too. And you know why?”

I hastily shake my head

“Because of your nature Zayn, you are the son of equilibrium. Eros and Thanatos; the two most important forces of creation: love and death. In every myth there’s a creator god and a destroying god: Mars and Venus; the God of war and the Goddess of love. Zayn, you are half demon half angel; and if Naberius was to kill humankind, you would survive”

I stand back, mouth agape at the revelation. I can’t believe a word he’s just said.

“I’m a what?”

“You are not a common human, Zayn. And that is why I stopped the Council from tracking you down; but Naberius won’t until you are completely dead. Therefore, in exchange of my help, I need yours one last time. Naberius plans have two commanders; one being him, and the other person, I want you to find out who it is. This way we will stop them before it’s too late”

“And how am I supposed to do so?” My voice it’s nothing but a thin thread.

“Remember Orias? He was visited by an angel not long before you did. Find the angel community; ask them, they’ll know about his identity”

My nervousness it’s increasing by the second. I catch my head softly shaking in disagreement before I even process his words.

“That’s too much. I-I’m almost a ghost and Liam…well…”

I look down to the ground and grimace at the thought of the guards taking him not long ago. Where did they take him? Will he be safe? It’s been a while too since I last felt my bond with him. I’m so worried about him.

 “Ah” Lucifer lets a lurid laugh “I see you are fond of your demoniacal bond, Zayn, and you should have not done so. Because the time he’s spent with you is nothing compared to his long lifetime. And he’s only showed you one of his many faces. You wouldn’t like the rest”

He’s talking about his past identities; the times when demons were even more merciless.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I defy him “Is not the demons labor supposed to be necessary for the world's balance?”

“It is indeed; but it was never said to be pleasant to mortals”

I don’t answer this time and the Haven’s Great Duke albeit having no facial traits, looks at me as if he was smirking. He doesn’t continue, and I’m sure it was because Liam did something atrocious to humans before. It’s better to keep the past where it is.

“Naturally, Liam has forgotten about all of it” He speaks “But returning to the important matter, Zayn, it’s crucial for you to find who is helping Naberius; this is the only way to stop him for destroying creation”

I meditate on everything he has told me, but it is too complicated, too important to assimilate in such a short time. So I focus on my most important and necessary matter:

“Will you free Liam?” I ask him

“Undoubtedly” He answers “Otherwise you won’t be able to keep investigating for me”

I nod shortly after he continues

“I’ll distract the guards and keep them away. Follow your bond, you’ll find him. Once you’re by his side, wait for further instructions”

And with that, he disappears in a millisecond, leaving behind him a trail of dark, thick smoke that dissipates into the thin air just as fast.

I hesitate; that was a hard pill to swallow. We must find Naberius’ other commander, the one who went to Orias for a vision and whose presumably identity was an angelic one. This nightmare isn’t over yet.

I inhale a big breath and close my eyes. Liam has been strong for me when I couldn’t; it is time for me to take the reins and help him.

This time I cannot hear a sound, so it’s easier for me to concentrate. I’m searching for something I’ve felt before, something warm and welcoming.

There it is…it’s like a hypothetical gleaming rope that’s keeping us connected. I immediately run in the direction of it; exiting the sword room and climbing the slippery staircase two at a time.

True to Lucifer words, there was no one in sight when I step into a new lengthy corridor. I run and run through the never ending structure of the palace.

My feet suddenly stop in front of a brick wall, which I feel with unsure hands. There are no clefts that could indicate the existence of a hidden door. I square up my shoulders, clenching my fists. Door or not, I’m sure Liam must be there.

Pushing through it, I feel a strange tingling in my whole being. But I ignore it because of the sight that awaits me.

It’s a dark room with no furniture and the smallest of the windows casting moonlight upon a shadowy figure on the ground.

Carefully I approach the shaky lump and my heart constricts at the sight. It’s Liam, completely covered by his dark beautiful wings which are now messed up. There are patches with missing feathers and I can see a dark substance covering some of them. God I hope that’s not blood.

Once I’m close enough, I kneel down and caress one of his wings. A feather loosens up and falls to the ground, but I can feel them opening up; revealing Liam. He’s got his forehead resting on his bent knees.

I get closer to him, with a deep frown and shortness of breath.

“Li?” I whisper to him as I fondle the side of his head with tenderness as I notice how cold he is, which concerns me, because demons are ardent in both temperament and  blood, so this sudden temperature decrease is terribly off. He finally answers and lifts his head.

A gasp leaves my lips.

His right cheek is covered by a deep purple bruise and a bleeding gash and he’s got blood dripping down his chin, darkening his scruff, from an open wound in his lower lip. He looks exhausted; as if they have drained all the energy from him.

He must be hurting and yet he smiles, opening more the wound, a big shiny blood drop meeting the rest.

“Hey” He says in the softer tone I’ve heard coming from him since I’ve met him. His bent legs open a bit and I take advantage of it, sliding in between them so I’m closer. I hug him carefully not to hurt him any further, hiding my face in his neck.

“Liam”

His arms envelope me with strength, afraid I’d disappear in any moment, I do the same. He’s too cold.

“They promised not to hurt you” I say in a strangled voice but my words get muffled by his neck.

“I’ve had worse” He tries to assure me, but I don’t care about the past, he’s hurt now and I can feel his chest against mine and how faint his breathings are.

My thirst for revenge awakens in the depths of my soul at the very mention of Azazel’s guards breaking their promise and beating Liam up; but then I briefly recall in fragments of images what truly happened in the throne room.

How Liam had stood unbothered as they cut his palm.

How he seemed as if his life was taken from his face when Azazel dug her nails in my cheeks.

That was the exact same moment I figured it out.

I tip my head backwards, coming to face him. He’s got his brows furrowed because of my jolt.

“Am I doing this to you…?” I whisper while trying to find the gleam on his deep brown eyes, but they seem darker than ever.

“What are you talking about, pet?” He shakes his head and threads his fingers through my messy locks. I tip my head towards the direction of his hand. Not realizing how much I’ve craved his touches until now, his reassurance.

My eyes search his in the poorly dimmed room. Both my hands cup his jaw delicately. If my affection it’s what’s draining the energy from him; then seeing him hurt it’s the reason I feel like I’m being ripped apart. I can’t stand the sight of him being covered in his own blood, his beautiful marbled skin stained with ghastly bruises.

“I…” This time I want to tell him, I want to confront him. I know it’s not the best place or moment; I know powerful demons out there could end Earth’s life in a matter of days, even hours.

 But I need to know if I should stop. Because if loving him means hurting him further, then it’s best for me to bury my feelings as long as I’m bonded to him. As long as I mean a threat to his life. The last thing I want is being the one behind the trigger.

Tears are pooling in my eyes and I thank the semi dark room for hiding them.

Liam opens his eyes as a small smile makes its way into his face and without a second thought he closes the space between our faces and kisses me on the lips. It’s like a butterfly kiss, I’m worried I might hurt him, but he doesn’t care at all about the pain; he hugs me closer to his frame while deepening the kiss. A metallic taste from the blood comes to my tongue when I swipe it across his bottom lip. His tongue delves into my mouth, hungry but yet caring.

I put my hands on his collarbones to keep the balance as he deepens the kiss. An unintentional moan escapes my lips and he answers to it with a guttural groan.

We part with a wet sound to catch our breaths. I’m a complete mess now.

I can feel how a reluctant tear rolls down my cheekbone and the warm touch of Liam’s thumb on my parted lips, wiping what apparently was a smudge of his own blood; our uneven breaths are stabilizing at the same pace as we share a raw, sincere gaze.

He’s the one to break it in order to lower his head, defeated, and with a sigh.

“Please” He looks at me again, this time I truly can tell his eyes are alive. “Let’s discuss this once we’re finished here Zayn”

I start shaking my head slowly before he has the time to continue. No, I refuse to wait any longer. Do we even know when will we be free? Will I ever go back to my human state and break my bond with him? What if there’s no other moment? What will we do when it’s too late?

My thoughts are racing a million miles per minute and Liam knows I want to let them free; but he beats me to it by placing his thumb in the middle of my lips.

“Hush now; I swear I will explain everything to you. But not now okay? Just…” He stops, trying hard to find the fitting words.

“Just don’t give up… okay?” He whispers, getting closer to me and therefore noticing the shiny trails on my face; moving his thumb from its previous spot on my red lips to brush it through my cheekbone while leaving little pecks the opposite side of my face.

“Promise?”

“Promise” I say in the same low tone.

We stay silent for a couple of seconds, in which I hug his neck once again as he holds me.

“It’s the first time someone captures me” I look at him and remember why it was so difficult for demons to catch: they could transubstantiate to their demoniacal state ad libitum; this way they were like Lucifer, nothing but smoky shadows, imperceptible to the human eye. In that state, they are capable of passing through any material.

“Can you…transubstantiate?” I ask him, afraid of the answer.

“It’s…not that easy now. The main problem is the walls. Do you know what’s in between them?”

I shake my head but focus on them, trying to perceive something and it’s not when I realize what was that feeling I came across when I passed through them earlier.

“What is there?” I incredulously question him.

“Angelical swords” He nods “They are all over the surface, floor and ceiling. It’s the only material that could kill me” Liam inhales “If I could change to my demoniacal form, I’d die” He kisses the top of my head.

“But wait, Zayn, how did you escape from your mother? How are you here?”

I don’t know where to start; or if I should tell him about my encounter with who was the most important fallen angel of the entire existence.

“She is not my mother; she’s nothing but my father’s murderer”

Liam stays silent, one of his big hands fondling my waist.

“Do you still want to avenge him?”

“Yes. No matter how much of her genes I’ve got in me, or if she gave birth to me; she did something unforgivable. She will pay for it”

“I guess you’ve got that resilience from your father” Liam tells me and I can’t help but to draw a small, genuine smile.

I begin to tell him in rich detail everything that has happened tonight since Lucifer’s visit. He’s amazed

As soon as the last words left my lips, one of the walls opens, revealing a hidden door with a squeak. I quickly get up from my position in Liam’s embrace, ready to fight.

A human butler appears from behind it “Madonna Azazel wants to see you” He announces “Both of you”

Liam and I cross worried glances before he gets up as well, with a pained expression but determination too.

 

 

\--------

 

 

We are again standing in front of the demon mere moments later. And this time, she looks outraged. She looks at me fist, hatred burning in her eyes, wings trembling in fury.

“Ungrateful child” She spats.

Her indignation’s reason is standing next to her, showcasing a superiority smirk. He’s an imposing man with white hair and deceptively youthful features. He owns the demeanor of a distinguished aristocrat and the natural elegance of a panther. His eyes are of an indefinite color, between green and brown. The reddish gleam in them does not help to qualify them better. Because, of course, this man is not a man, he is a demon.

Lucifer

I look at him curiously. So this is the aspect he shows when he becomes corporeal. Or, at least, one of the many.

He turns to us with a wolfish smile and greets us with a sly gesture. Liam pales immediately, as he has recognized him. I can almost hear him gulp.

Lucifer tilts his head without breaking his smile.

“Liam, Zayn” He greets us ceremoniously; I am sure he would accompany the gesture by removing his hat if he wore one. “It is a true pleasure to see you both again”

Liam hastily leans forward in submission; so fast he might be hurt.

“I was explaining Madonna” He continues “that the fact that you are here as, let’s say…’hosts’ must be due to a lamentable miscalculation”

“It is not” Answers Azazel, furious “He is my son and will stay by my side”.

“And I have nothing against it; however, given the case that Liam works for me, he still has a couple of duties to carry out for me, don’t you think so?”

Azazel shakes her head energetically.

“I can’t let him go; if he does, my son will go with him”

“Ah, but I don’t think you understand who you are addressing to, Azazel” He questions, pronouncing her old name and his voice suddenly sounds terrifying and menacing.

She recoils a step, intimidated. I notice how she can no longer hold his gaze, because she turns to Liam with her eyes full of hate.

“Is that true?” She asks him “Did you plead him allegiance?”

Liam hesitates briefly. I intuit that the answer must be important. In theory, he owes nothing to Lucifer, since he has paid off his debt and proclaiming aloud that he is his servant could bind Liam to him again, who knows for how long. However, it is the only way to escape from here, and he’s aware.

He inhales deeply and answers:

“Yes, _madonna_. I swore an oath to my Lord Lucifer”

She utters a howl of anger and frustration. Then looks at me again, full of resentment. I look back at her, defiant.

“Take him" She mutters, referring to Liam, but then she points directly at me "And him too, I never want to see that disgrace again. He is disingenuous and disloyal; just like his father”

I growl at her, my hands clench at my sides, but I restrain myself. With three demons in the same room it’s not safe to provoke her any further.

Lucifer smiles again. We are free.

 

 

\------

 

Our next stop is Madrid, again. The only way I know to contact angels is Louis's bookstore. And although I am not enthusiastic about going back there, I have to admit that, if they are combatants, they will be aware of the movements of ‘The Enemy’. It’s worth a shot, at least.

Liam and I haven’t talked much since we exited the castle. I treated his wounds once we were back at his place. We shared yearning kisses, ones that took my breath completely away. We preferred not to use words.

We were walking on a thin line; we needed our strength, especially Liam, for whatever was awaiting us, because this hasn’t ended. Because of that, we silently agreed on using only corporal language, since it was much easier for the both of us.

Like now, where my fingers were intertwined with Liam’s in a strong lock as we walked around Madrid.

“This is where everything started” Liam comments as we walk down a not so crowded street, where pubs and bars alike are still closed, it’s too early in the morning for them to be opened.

I nod as I remember that exact same day it all began. I look at him from the corner of my eye. He’s not the same demon I met that night; he’s now much more tired, his wings have lost their dark spectrum, they look slumped, and his wounds are still trying to heal. He’s also got dark eye bags and this time it’s not fear what I feel for him. It’s exactly the opposite of what a demon should a human make them feel like.

I sense something off in his traits now that I come to realize…

“Are you worried, Leeyum?”

He scratches the back of his head as we get closer to the bookstore “To be honest with you, I am. It’s very likely that we end up fighting, and I don’t know if I am in the position to win”

He’s getting weaker, I can feel it. It is taking a toll on him both physically and mentally. God how I want this all to end once and for all.

I watch him glancing doubtfully at his back, where, between the two dark wings, the hilt of his sword appears. That reminds me that I had no choice but to leave my father's sword in Villa Diavola. It has been left as a trophy and that fiend demon had hung it up in the swords room.

I protested scandalously, but Liam grabbed me by the waist so I did nothing I could regret later. He eased me under Lucifer’s disapproving glance, who, by the way, didn’t move a finger to retrieve it.

“Zayn” Liam brings me back to reality and I turn to look at him.

We stopped near the bookstore. I tell him:

“I think I'm going to go inside and talk to Louis; you stay here, close enough so you can get to the bookstore if something happens, but far enough so that he does not detect you”

He seems considerably relieved.

“It’s a good plan” Liam accepts.

Same with me; moreover, I won’t like the idea of Louis throwing himself on him and stringing him with his sword. I can’t and I won’t let anything happen to him.

“Wait for me here Li” I tell him, getting closer so that I can peck him briefly in the lips “I won’t take long”

“Be careful” He whispers as I retrieve from him.

I notice a faint pull of our bond when I get through the main door, but it’s almost imperceptible. I take a look at the inside. There’s Louis, taking books from a box on the counter and marking the prices on the first page in pencil and then placing them on the shelves. This occasion I observe something that I could not do the previous time. This time I can see the light of his blue eyes and a pair of huge white wings radiating from his back. And just as I suspected, he does not pay attention to me.

I try to get a little closer, but a sudden wave of anguish prevents me from doing so: the bond that binds me to Liam can’t stretch any further. So I stay where I am and try to get his attention. Liam must have walk further down the street.

“Good morning Louis” I greet him.

The angel raises his head, bewildered, and looks around until he spots me, next to the door.

“Do I know you, boy?” He asks me quite cautiously.

“I’m Zayn, Yasser’s son. The one who came here some time ago…”

He observes me with more attention and, from the face that he pulls; I deduce he remembers the incident and he has drawn his own conclusions about it.

“I told you” He shrugs “I told you not to get involved in this; demons are dangerous; and look what happened to you. And be thankful you’re not fully dead; but it might’ve been a better fate. It’s way more difficult to find someone who can actually revert that” He signals to the general direction of my body.

“A demon did this” I admit reluctantly “But this wouldn’t have happened if you had allowed me to join you. With the protection of the angels…”

“They would’ve killed you either way” He cuts me “We angels are here to fight against demons and that it’s our way of protecting humans. So the best thing we can do it’s keeping you all away from them”

“Sometimes that’s not enough” I talk back “There’s a group of demons out there that is plotting on destroying every human on Earth” I pause, waiting for my listener to fully comprehend the importance behind this.

“I came here to ask about what you angels plan on doing about it”

“Oi, demons plotting against humanity?! Cheers, they’ve been doing that since the beginning of the times, mate!”

“This time is for real” I insist “Orias the demon viewed it on a vision. They are making a virus that would kill humans”

Louis looks at me, amazed.

“They wouldn’t dare” He answers “Many demons have gotten used to human civilization, of which they live as parasites. They wouldn’t want to give up anything like that. Sure it's just a rumor”

“Orias saw it” I repeat “A future in which humans and angels went extinct due to the virus which is creating a demon named Naberius”

“It’s nothing but an unfounded rumor…”

“But…what if it’s not? Won’t you even investigate it? Who will stop them then?”

Louis looks at me behind suspicious eyes “Where’s your bond?”

I’m dumbfounded at the question. He looks around, frowning in distrust. “I hope it’s not a demon”

“That doesn’t matter now” I’d rather not tell him about Liam yet or else I will lose the little bit of credibility I’ve got. Louis nods but doesn’t look pleased at all with my answer.

“Please Louis, take me to the angel Michael” I plead him, begging to see the highest of the angels, he must know something.

“You cannot talk with Michael young human” Explains Louis, alerted. “He’s truly busy, has been for the past few weeks…”

He shuts up immediately; the crystal door of the library has been yanked open and a man has entered, he’s wearing glasses and has a briefcase on his hand. Louis smiles at him and attends him. I wait while he goes to search for the book he’s been asked for. I walk right in front of the human, but he doesn’t see me.

Once the client has gone, Louis puts his attention back on me.

“I will talk to Michael and we will discuss it; but for now, just go” He looks tired when he turns his head to me so instead of pushing further, I just nod and retrieve silently.

“Thank you for everything Louis”

The caramel haired boy nods and smiles slightly. I get through the crystal door again and fully exit. Liam’s nowhere in sight, so I concentrate and follow our bond; turning a corner and finding him strolling slowly down the sidewalk, acting as if he’s interested in the items showcased at the shopfronts. He turns his head to me as soon as he feels my presence.

“How did it go?” He whispers, getting closer to me.

I describe him briefly the conversation.

“I’m actually surprised they didn’t know about it. What kind of angel would know about the virus and not tell the rest of his combatants?”

“Maybe archangels do know about it” Answers Liam “Maybe they are carrying on this fight in secret”

“Liam” I tell him as I start pondering “What if Orias lied to us and he didn’t reveal the future to any angel?”

Liam shakes his head.

“No, if there’s one thing we can be certain of, is that Orias told us the truth”

“Why? Because demons never lie?”

“Exactly”

“Does that mean that Louis simply didn’t know about it?”

“Yeah; and it also means we are failing behind. Lucifer told us to find out about Naberius’ coworker and so far we’ve got nothing. You’ve gifted the angels valuable information in exchange of nothing” He shrugs, but regrets his choice of words as soon as he sees my face and puts an arm around my shoulders, becoming me closer to him, kisses the top of my hair and lets me go.

“Could it be possible to reach Michael and talk to him?” I insist.

“Don’t think so; and much less being bonded to a demon” Liam retorts before sighing. He puts his hands on his hips and moves the weight of his body from one side to another, and when light hits his traits is when I truly notice how tired he is. There’s dark eye bags, ones that have been getting darker with each day that went by and that didn’t suit a demon at all. His scars and scratches are not fully healed and I try to maintain myself as far of him as I can; not touching him or looking at him as much as I’d like to do, just the minimum. It hurts, it truly does; but I know it’s for the best.

“What’s left for us to do?” I whisper; hoping for the wind to attach to my words and carry them far away, along with the uneasiness impregnated on them. They reach Liam, instead.

“Now we wait; if we are right and angels know something, let’s wait for a couple of days” He tries to touch me again, but I shy away from it and he visibly recoils, I tell myself it’s for the best; or else we won’t stop.

I must not touch him, or he will get frailer. I cannot take his power away; this is not finished yet; and he’s swore an oath to Lucifer, that means danger even to demons, at any given chance, they could come to attack him and he must remain strong. Feelings must get out of the way.

I cringe at my own actions; I’m at equal parts hurt and relieved I can somehow lessen the effects I have on him by simply not showing affection. But nobody told me this was harder than being casted upon a demon’s spell. My eyes search him behind my eyelashes, he nods to himself as if he’s understood and lowers his hand as well as his head, he’s not looking at me and that hurts. I crave to touch him again, take the pain away from him with butterfly kisses even if I’m well aware they’ll do absolutely nothing to his marred skin; but at least they could take away the mental suffering.

It’s now when I suddenly remember that Liam’s everything to me right now; not only the bond I depend to stay here among the living; but also the only one that has been right by my side this whole time, even when he’s been omnipresent, he’s still been there. To demon’s, a human lifetime is nothing but a blink of an eye. I could have lost him in the hands of my step-mother; I did in fact anger her; she could have Liam killed in a second by his guards.

The image of my father’s sword passing through his chest lasts a millisecond before I remove it forcefully from my mind, but it was long enough to leave something inside me:

Fear

That’s the cold injection I’ve been shot with. My existence may not be anything else that a couple sentences among his memories, a snap of fingers, short-lived. I feel small and miserable.

A groan leaves Liam lips and his fragrance is suddenly everything that I can breathe. Vision blurred with dark feathers. His robust arms hold my slim frame strongly, almost roughly.

“Stop that” He tells me and I don’t know how to properly breathe.

“I’m sorry” I whisper. We hadn’t have the time to speak about what happened in Italy since we came back here, and it’s not the moment to talk about it, but I can’t let another day go by without letting him now. “For everything, I just…”

“Zayn” He stops me and takes my face in his hands, looking directly at me “Listen to me; I’ve been roaming aimlessly around the Earth for hundreds of years, visited the most enchanting countries, and met some of the most important people: kings, queens, conquerors… I’ve read every book and seen every artwork; but your existence, even if it’s a blink to a God; has been the greatest treasure I’ve ever discovered and if I could, I would request Orias to stop the time for us. Don’t you ever try to apologize again, because there’s nothing to be sorry about”

I look at him baffled, not ready at all for his words; he’s left me completely speechless. My mouth opens and closes, but nothing comes from it. I nod and gulp at the same time and I reciprocate his tender stare.

“Okay” I softly say as Liam leans in to leave a yearning, soft kiss on my nose.

“Let’s go then now, pet”

\-----

We spent the rest of the day roaming around Madrid. Liam tells me stories about angels and demons from all around the world; the most famous battles among them, the ones which were important enough to be written about in mythology. I am well aware he’s trying to take my mind off my worries by talking to me leisurely; but in spite of his numerous attempts, I can’t quite get out of my mind everything I’m leaving behind: my life, and how I was born from some strange miscegenation experiment between an angel and a demon and all the threats I’ve been dealt with.

Liam is relaxed albeit our situation; advantages of being a demon, I suppose. I can quite feel as if my human life had ended a long time ago every time I see a human passerby; what  had happened was left on the other side right in that metro station.

Our long walk has finally led us to the Retiro Park, close to the Fallen Angel statue; where Liam flops himself over the clean, green grass while I stand hovering over him, admiring the statue and the memories it held.

“I still can’t believe I’m your bond” Speaks softly Liam from the ground, removing some grass from the ground and playing with it “It feels special, almost intimate, you know? I know it’s not that reassuring, since we’re bonded because of an almost-fatal spell, but…”

I was about to answer him, but he looks forward, eyes lost in the horizon.

“I’ve seen unbonded before… they roam aimlessly just like ghosts from the other side; they never got the chance to be un-spelled and they spent the rest of their eternity being lost. It’s fatal and perpetual; and I’m truly glad you at least have been given an opportunity to stay in the in-between”

He looks at me and I almost loose balance.

“They are tormented creatures, forever doomed” Liam shakes softly his head.

“I am lucky then” I would gulp if I could, but my mouth is dry.

“You are”

After a moment of silence, I decide to sit next to him on the ground, and I’m glad there’s no one near or else they’ll think Liam’s speaking alone.

“I feel empty Li” I suddenly confess “I haven’t avenged my father’s death; I discovered what happened and why. I also know now that I’m a very special human since I was born from an angel and a demon but I still feel like there’s something I left out”

“Well, maybe it’s just the feeling you’ve got left; maybe you have really done everything you could; but not the way you expected” He tells me, but continues further

“It may be because now you’ve realized your mother is a demon, and we are not quite how humans picture us. We are rational beings who experiment complex feelings; if angels can kill, why can’t we love?”

I’m left speechless as we cross a long, long look; there’s a tiny gap left between our faces, and it’s gets smaller as our faces come forward. I can feel heat coming from his skin and how his hand goes softly to my cheek.

“Liam…” I softly speak while my lips grace over his’.

But I can’t keep on speaking. Suddenly, a flock of birds scatter away frightened in a second. Liam opens wide his eyes, and lowers his head, and when I follow his eyesight, we both notice a blooming bloody wound in the chest, seeping through and steadily soaking his clothes.

“Liam!” I yell when my brain finally assess what’s happening. He’s been attacked by surprise and treacherously; it looks like a gun wound and he’s been shot right in the chest. I try to touch him but I recoil as watch his expression.

The surprise on his face disappears, and it’s not hurt what replaces it, but a fierce expression of anger that deforms his features. In a hundredth of a second he jumped up, the next he drew his sword, and when I want to realize, we are twenty meters away from the place where we were and there is a dead human lying at Liam’s feet.

“W-What?” I ask, stunned. He is an ordinary man, dark, neither very tall nor very short, and he wears street clothes. The death has come so suddenly that he has not had time to release the gun with which he shot Liam. I have not even noticed when he has unsheathed his sword and has crossed the man with it from the chest to the hip, destroying him. Dismayed, I look away from the corpse and direct it towards Liam, who is still standing, furious.

“What’s happening?!” I cry out loud, nervous “You’re bleeding Liam!”

“I know” He murmurs, still grim. He lifts the shirt up so he can see the bullet wound, which is closing as fast as it has opened “Remember I’m a demon, they can’t kill me this way”.

I try to calm myself and reorder my ideas.

“B-but…why? I mean…”

“That’s what I was asking myself too” He says, his eyes narrowed, still alert, and he turns everywhere, his hand over the bleeding zone.

“Slow” A voice is heard in the gloom; speaking in the language of demons. “Too slow, how predictable are the young demons; and how little cautious”

We look around us. It is not one demon, but many. Nearly a dozen devils surround us, their swords drawn. And now I understand that the human with the gun was nothing more than a decoy. Of course they did not plan to kill Liam in such a crude way. They just wanted to distract him, make him lose control, lower his guard.

And they have. Slowly, very slowly, Liam drops his sword and raises his hands in surrender.

One of the demons comes forward a little. He is a tall, dark, disheveled brown-haired fellow. Obviously he is very satisfied, because he cannot hide a smile; must be the leader.

“What is this about?" Liam asks, seemingly calm.

"We were given orders" The other responds "But we could sum it up as in ‘it's because you know too much’, and there's someone interested in finding out how much you know exactly, so I'm afraid you and your little ghost are going to join us in answering some questions"

"No way!" I rebel "We have nothing to tell you, gang of ...!"

"Okay" Accepts Liam immediately "Take me with your leader and I'll tell them everything they may want to know"

I am so surprised that I am unable to form a full sentence.

"But ... but ...." I repeat, bewildered, as the demons take Liam, with the sword, dragging me with him.

Lying on the ground, there remains the man who, voluntarily or not, shot Liam just to distract him, and who found a sudden death under his sword.

 

\----

 

"Why did you do that? Why did you surrender so easily?"

"First, because they were twelve against one, and second, because they have taken us exactly to the place where we wanted to go"

"Really?" I ask, skeptical.

The truth is that I have no idea where we are. Our captors have brought us here with the supersonic speed that devils travel in an immaterial state, so it has been only a second, but most likely we are no longer in Spain, not even in Europe. What can be seen around us is a cell, similar to the place where Azazel locked Liam, but more sophisticated:

All the walls, including the floor and the ceiling, are covered with plates of the material of which the angelic and demonic swords are made. Only a very powerful demon, much more so than my so-called mother, could afford something like that.

"The guard of Naberius" Confirms Liam "Or at least one of them"

I’m silent for a moment. We were looking for Naberius and we have already found him. Except for the insignificant detail that we are his prisoners, and who knows what they will do to us when we have told them what we know ... or if we do not tell at all.

"Well" I reply, trying to get my ideas in order "And if they brought us here to question us, why are we still in this cell?"

Liam smiles that way, between naughty and sly I already know so well.

"Because Naberius is a very busy demon, and the henchmen who have captured us will probably take a little while to talk to him to tell him that they have caught us, and that gives us a chance"

"Oh yeah?" I interrogate; still not understanding.

"Sure" He nods "Because I'm trapped inside, but you're not"

And now I understand.

"Do you want me to go round and see what I can find out? And what am I supposed to look for?"

"Everything: I want to know where we are, how many demons there are in the building, what kind of place this is, and if Naberius or his partner is in it, try not to attract attention, you know. They will not look at you more than they should. Try to listen to conversations; find possible escape routes ... any information can be useful”

"All right" I nod. I'm getting out of the cell, but then I turn to him, with some curiosity.

"You know what you're doing, right?

I ask, intrigued "I mean, when my mother locked us up, you went up the walls in frustration, and now you seem very sure of yourself. And it's not for nothing, but if the rest of the building is like this room, I I'm afraid it's going to be harder to escape from here than Villa Diavola. So there has to be something you have not told me, is it?"

Liam smiles and shrugs and I can’t help but to smile with him; even in the worst scenarios, he always knows how to ease me.

"It's just intuition, anyway, and just in case, it will not hurt to go and investigate, and hurry up, we have a short time before someone comes and misses you"

"Okay, I trust you, Liam"

I walk lightly across the wall and out into the corridor. It is as I suspected: this is not an old half-renovated palazzo; it is a modern building, with immaculate corridors illuminated by a cold, aseptic light. I walk down the floor, but I do not see any doors leading to the street. The doors of the rooms, also white, lead, in their majority, to warehouses or cells similar to ours.

All are empty, for the moment, and this is immense, so I soon lose myself, and try to find a way out.

I'm not slow to realize we're in a basement. All the indications of emergency exits lead to ascending stairs, so that I float higher, I cross the ceiling and I appear, this time I do, in a large room glazed, and illuminated by sunlight. I look around: it is the reception of a huge, modern and luxurious building. I float above the receptionist, who is human and does not see me and examine the logo that occupies half a wall: Eden Pharmacop. A pharmacy service company, run by demons. By a particular demon, I'm sure.

I walk around the building; I see smart-dressed people, safety controls, cutting edge technology, and everything is huge, new and glistening. Behind this company there is a lot of money. If it is a branch, I do not even want to imagine how it should be the main office. And if it's the main venue, we've gotten into the lion’s den, because I'm beginning to imagine what kind of things they do in here.

In the basement of this building there are special cells to hold demons or angels. Otherwise, this whole place looks absolutely average. On the first floor there are offices, meeting rooms and little else. People come in and out, arrange paperwork, work on the computer, talk on the phone ... In the meeting room I locate a Canadian flag, which gives me an idea of where we are.

No demons at the moment.

I float to the second floor. Here there are laboratories: lots of people in a gown, between test tubes and microscopes. They are also all human. And I guess what they're doing is working on totally legal drugs, nothing dangerous like a deadly virus. Otherwise, they would not be here, I can be sure of that.

If Naberius conceals his biological weapon here to destroy humanity; he will guard it in some less accessible laboratory.

I still do not see any demons.

Restless because I'm getting too far away and the bond with Liam starts to hurt too much, I rise to the third floor; not without grunting agony over the bond.

This area seems much more restricted; there are security controls, people need special passes to get in ... and there is a laboratory for which nothing less than a retinal scanner is needed.

There are demons here. Enough, working side by side with humans, as if they were part of the team. No one could distinguish them from ordinary people, but I, who can see the brightness of their eyes and the shadow of their wings, recognize them.

There are several labs, one behind the other, and at each level, security is greater, and there are more and more demons and fewer humans. These people must not have a very clear idea of what they are doing. I very much doubt that any human collaborates voluntarily in the creation of a virus that is going to exterminate the whole humanity.

Liam was right.

No one has paid attention to me; only a demon who looks up and sees me, but he only twists his gesture a moment, as someone who had just found a cockroach would do; something unpleasant and annoying. The demon lowers his head again and keeps on working.

I continue exploring with impunity as far as my bond lets me go. For the moment I have not come across any of the demons that have captured us in Madrid. I remain alert, just in case.

At the end of the corridor there is a last security check. I walk quietly through the door and stumble upon a small desk in which a human secretary works. I approach with curiosity. There is a door in the background behind which two voices speaking in demonic language are heard, very faintly. The walls dampen the conversation, which the secretary is not even able to capture, but for my amplified senses, there is no doubt. In fact, I would swear that I know one of the two voices.

I cannot risk coming through the door. I levitate even higher, until I cross the ceiling and reach the next floor of the building. I appear in a hallway and advance a little until I cross the wall. I arrive at a small store, which should be located just above the office where the demons speak. Then, slowly and cautiously, I go down to face the ceiling of the room that I'm interested in spying on.

I was right in my assumptions: it's an office. A luxury office with a large window, a huge desk and immaculate carpet. And standing in the middle of the room are two demons. If they were to raise their heads, they will see me, so I prepare to leave as soon as either of them moves the neck in the slightest.

But, until then, I can hear what they say.

One of them is the leader of the group that has brought us here. The other is a demon with an extraordinary aura of power. I only see him from above, but his human incarnation is that of a man in his fifties, gray hair, broad shoulders and medium height. From here I cannot be sure, but he looks impeccably dressed, matching the office. If he is not the owner of the company, he is one of its directors, I am sure. I pay attention to the conversation:

"Why did you bring him here? I made it clear that he had to be removed, not captured!"

"Sorry for my clumsiness, my lord." The henchman is excused. "We located him in Florence, but there he was under the protection of Madonna Constanza, and we did not know how much she ..."

"I know that," interrupts the chief, dry. "But he left Florence, didn’t he? Why is he still alive?"

The henchman takes a deep breath.

"It is rumored that a powerful demon interceded for him before Madonna Constanza" He says with caution "And on the other hand, the first thing he did when he arrived to Spain was to contact the fighting angels ... I thought it would be interesting to find out how much he knows, and who else knows"

The other stares at him without saying anything.

"Liam works for someone" He said, visibly uncomfortable "It is not a matter of property, as it has tried to make us believe"

"We already suspected that" Murmurs the chief

"So what?" Valefar blinks, puzzled.

"My lord ... I thought you might want to question him, perhaps he'll be willing to reveal what she does not want to tell you"

She? I keep listening, interested, who are they referring to?

"She seemed to be ready to speak" He adds, "Maybe we do not have to push him too hard to reveal the name of his master"

"But I sent you to find out who is behind the Recreation, and instead you bring a lesser demon to me ... right here! Could not you interrogate him elsewhere?"

"My Lord Naberius" murmured Valefar, pronouncing for the first time the name of his interlocutor and confirming my suspicions about his identity "I imagined that you would want to interrogate him personally. Much less dangerous that way and yet ...”

"Do not question my decisions, Valefar" Replicates Nebiros with coldness "The reasons why I hold them here are none of your concern" He pauses for a moment to think.

"It's okay" Accepts him finally "Watch Liam and bring him to me at night, when everyone’s gone. I’ll talk to him then”

The henchman bows before him and prepares to retreat. However, before going out the door, he stops for a moment to add:

"Sir, maybe you should know Liam was not alone"

Naberius turns to look at him

"Wasn’t he?"

"The boy we almost killed in Berlin ... Yasser's son ... the first of the Recreated ..."

"Oh? Are you trying to tell me that he’s not dead?" His voice has a dangerous tone that makes me shudder.

"Oh no, sir, he's under a spell. They tried to extract his life, but the one in charge was attacked and could not finish the spell, leaving the young boy in the in-between”

"Interesting", he says, "That might be the reason why they went to see Madonna Constanza. Even after he died, the boy continues to investigate his origins, and Liam would not have done so out of sheer curiosity, so you brought both Liam and his ... ghost ... have you made sure to watch them well so he does not sniff where he should not? "

I blink and pull my head out of the room. I still can hear the muted voice of Valefar:

"It did not occur to me ... but, with all due respect, what can I do with the boy? He's just a ghost ... and it doesn’t matter what I do because he cannot leave here while we keep his bond imprisoned"

"It would still be great if you to checked what he does, either way"

I wait no more, I walk down the corridor and, at a prudent distance, and I slam down the three floors until I reach the basement again. Once there, I hurry through the rooms in search of Liam's cell.

Warehouse, empty cell, empty cell, warehouse, empty cell ...  wait a moment.

I stop shortly because the room I’ve just passed was not empty. I retrace my steps and cross the wall to re-enter.

Indeed, there, curled up in a corner, there is someone; someone who detects my presence and raises their head to direct me a glance full of light.

The prisoner of the cell is the most beautiful angel I have ever seen. Their face, pale and clear, framed by a long mane of brown hair that curls at the tips, is full of sadness and sweetness at the same time. Their pale eyes smile at the same time as their mouth. The light of their wings is a little dim, but it is the whitish glow of the wings of an angel, there’s no doubt about it.

She wears a sort of nightgown and is covered in a thick blue wool jacket, as if she were cold. I do not know how long she's been stuck here, but she's not feeling well.

"Hello" I say, impressed at the same time as concerned.

"Hello, lost spirit" She greets me with a smile "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just exploring a little" I respond with some shyness; I cannot stop looking at her because I am convinced I had seen her before.

"I am not lost" I continue "My bond is near here ... he is ..." I hesitate for a moment before adding "... is another prisoner of Naberius"

She looks at me with slight astonishment.

"You know a lot of things to be a simple ghost" She pauses and asks cautiously "Do you know who I am?"

A part of me knows; or wants to remember it.

"I've seen you somewhere" I acknowledge; I watch her with more attention. And then I remember where: The Annunciation, by Botticelli.

I try to speak, but the words accumulate in my mind and I am not able to spin a coherent phrase; the angel smiles.

"My name is Gabriel” She confirms with simplicity.

"Gabriel!" I exclaim, astonished "The archangel! But ... but ... what are you doing here? How did they capture you? And why?"

She closes her eyes, in a gesture of weariness and pain. A gesture that should never have marked the face of any angel in the world, let alone one like Gabriel.

"It's a long story" She answers. Then the wool jacket is opened a little and stands, showing me something that sums it all up.

She's pregnant.

"But, but ..." I murmur. Again, hundreds of thoughts cross my mind. However, over and above the many questions that come to mind, the indignation flourishes.

"How can they have you prisoner here in your state? How dare they treat you like this?"

Gabriel smiles again.

"The baby is fine" reassures me "You are all strong, I know"

I look at her again, suddenly aware of the implications of her words.

"I also met your father Yasser, I'm sorry to see you like this, you were very young ... fourteen years, fifteen?" Gabriel sighs.

"How fast time goes by... what happened to you?"

"Naberius co-workers tried to kill me" I inform her. A shadow of fear crosses her face, and she wraps herself in her jacket, as if she wants to protect her baby from some invisible threat. I suspected it for a long time, but this last gesture confirms it to me.

"You're not going to give birth to an angel, are you?" I ask, and Gabriel smiles and shakes her head.

"I belong to what some call The Recreation Sect" She says with some bitterness.

I dare not to ask who the father is. It is too shocking to assimilate it like that.

"That's why Naberius has you locked in here" I understand.

They are killing all the children of Balance, and Gabriel is going to give birth to one of them. But I dare not to say this out loud. They have her imprisoned because they want to kill her baby. It is too cruel, or perhaps not so, being a demon that plans the extinction of humanity.

But Gabriel narrows her eyes, and a flash of anger crosses her noble and pure face.

"It's not Naberius who keeps me prisoner" She says with some anger.

I look at her, disoriented.

"Then who? ..." I begin, but I cannot speak more. Something pulls me, urgently, and pulls me out of the room without giving me time to say goodbye. It's the bond that binds me to Liam: he's calling me and I have no choice but to come to him at full speed.

Suddenly I remember the conversation between Valefar and Naberius and cross the last wall just as Valefar's face appears through the door.

Liam is lying on his bunk, looking at the ceiling, acting as if nothing has happened. He glances indifferently at the incoming demon.

Valefar frowns and takes a circular look. He finds me in a corner and nods, satisfied, leaving again.

I scramble in a second to where Liam is now leaning on his arms.

"Everything okay?" He asks me, worried.

I smile a little

"Yes, and Naberius is no fool" I answer, still shocked "I have a lot to tell you"

Liam sits on the bunk and indicates me to do the same. He puts one of his wings over me, hugging me. I tell him in a few words all that I have found while he looks at me, perplexed.

"Guess who they have locked up in this same basement"

Liam shrugs and waits for me. I tell him again my encounter with Gabriel and his face changes to an expression of pure astonishment.

"The important thing now is that Naberius is going to interrogate you, do you know what you're going to say? You're probably going to be asked what Gabriel has not told them all the time she's been imprisoned here"

"They have not hurt her because that doesn’t suit them" Liam answers, with a glint of scheming in his eyes.

"Why not?"

“Gabriel is pregnant, and now they want me to tell them who sent me. Gabriel will have been questioner either about the leader of her group or about the father of her son, or maybe both, because they are probably the same person, and they think that if I do not worry about being locked up here, it's because I suspect that they have not sent us here by chance, think about who sent us and draw conclusions”

Impossible. The face I put on must be a whole poem, because Liam nods, satisfied.

"If Naberius kidnapped her, and they are a couple, or at least they were to beget a human child, it is clear that he must have gone crazy looking for her."

That's why Lucifer seemed so desperate when he insisted how important it was to locate Naberius. However, I suddenly understand something more, an intention hidden in his orders that until now I had gone unnoticed.

"And we were the bait ..." I say, bewildered "Do you think, then, that he sent us to investigate to alert Naberius and to take us to its lair? Are we a decoy, and that means he was aware of what we were doing, because we could guide him to Gabriel? "

"Gabriel herself is a lure to dismantle the Recreation Group, and only a powerful demon would pair Gabriel, who is one of the most important archangels. Capturing Gabriel, Naberius hoped to locate the leader of the group, guide them into a trap, to end it and thus to dismiss the only ones who can put an end to their plan to exterminate all humans”

"Is that so?" I ask, puzzled. "Lucifer has been following us and will come to rescue Gabriel and us? And what if he falls into Naberius’ trap, what will happen then?"

"Well" Says Liam "We’ll find out soon, and it's getting late, people who work in the building will soon be going home”

"What are you going to tell them?" I ask "Are you going to betray Lucifer? After Gabriel's efforts to cover him up?"

Liam sighs.

"These angels" He says, shaking his head gently "always so noble and so loyal, even when it comes to protecting a demon"

He turns his head to me and gives me a half-smile.

"They remind me of someone"

I smile fondly at him, albeit the situation, he’s always ready and eager to make me feel better.

"Are you going to tell him what he wants to know then?" I tell him, but he shakes his head hard.

"If Lucifer followed the lead and is on his way, we must give him time to come in. So I've changed my mind: I'm not going to tell him everything I know, at least not at first"

Liam seems very sure of himself, but it pisses me off not knowing what's going to happen. If Liam is right, both Lucifer and Naberius have set a trap for each other, who will fall first?

Worst of all is that there are still unknown puzzle pieces to solve, a dark point in this plot that we have not yet solved.

"I think I'm going to talk to Gabriel" I announce, but Liam picks up his wing and stops me with a hand on my wrist and a warning gleam in his eyes.

"No" He replicates "The sun is setting, they will come and look for us, stay here pet"

And he does not lack reason. Just a few minutes later, Valefar appears and several more demons. They pull Liam outside the cell at sword point. They keep all a close eye on Liam in case he tries something funny, but the truth is that my bond is not very dangerous now, since they have taken his sword and cannot defend himself if attacked.

Moreover, I am not yet sure if he’s able to return to the spiritual state.

Liam is trapped in his human body; he has no way to escape. Even so, our captors watch him closely.

We arrive to an elevator that only works with a security key. In just a few minutes we are already on the top floor. They lead us to the enormous office I already know. Once there, Valefar puts on thick gloves, takes out a cloth bag from a closet and draws from it a couple of handcuffs that shine with a sinister light that is familiar to me. Liam's eyes widen in alarm.

"Do not even think about putting that on me" He warns, but Valefar shrugs.

"Sorry, they are house rules"

Liam tries to get away, but soon finds himself with five swords pointing at his neck, and he has no choice but to remain still while Valefar rips off his jacket to leave his wrists naked and places the handcuffs. Liam cries out in pain that makes me shudder and makes me try to touch him, to help him.

"What is that? What have you put on him?" I ask, alarmed and watching Liam squirm.

"It's an instrument made of the same material as our swords." He responds as he enfolds the handcuffs into a similar chain that fits the wall "It's just for safety.  Of course the ring to which he is chained has a hold that any demon could break from a simple pull ... if he can handle the pain of coming in contact with the chain and the handcuffs. More than one has died trying it, so I recommend you to stay still, Liam. You are already low enough on demonic essence by ... someone” He casts a glance upon me and I recoil, shaking my head.

“Don’t you think I haven’t caught on that, you disgraceful human” He snarls to me as I growl back.

Liam breathes deeply, stands on the spot and shoots him a sulky look. The handcuffs rub against his skin, and his face reveals, though he tries to conceal it, that they do him much harm. I begin to understand why neither angels nor demons have a word to define the material with which they make their swords: the only instrument that can kill them, the only one that can hurt them. For them, it is death. It may be a kind of taboo.

Liam is visibly shaking; a drop of sweat runs down his forehead and slides down his cheek.

"How much of a waste, even I remember the times when the swords of fallen enemies only generated new swords, instead of these contraptions"

Valefar shrugs again.

"Thanks to the Plague, we have surplus angelic swords" He answers "We can afford small caprices"

It is silent when we all detect a movement over the door. We all turn to one: Naberius has just entered.

 

\----

I look at him curiously. The last time I was in his office, I only saw him from above, but my first impressions were not far from reality. Perhaps he is a little higher than I had supposed at the beginning, and I also missed his blue eyes, hard and severe.

His henchmen, with his head whipped down, bow before him. Liam stays very still, but Valefar pushes him to kneel, and he does, with a howl of pain that forces him to close his eyes.

I cannot see him like this; I'm biting on my lower lip and I force myself to look away, clenching my fists so hard that I think I've created dents in the palms of my hands. What I do is getting a little closer to him, at least to shorten the distance of our bond and to be able to give him some kind of support.

Meanwhile, Naberius has been staring at us as if we were freshly brought dross.

"So you're Liam" He says "I wanted to meet you, you've brought me a lot of trouble. I've been trying to do a little project for years, and I've worked a lot, you cannot imagine how much, to keep it hidden. And your little human there sniffs a little of my affairs and suddenly my project is not as secret as I thought it to be”

"You should choose your trusted people a little better" Liam replies without hesitation "They have a very long tongue. If it were not for that, we probably would not be here today"

Naberius gives him a look that’s pure poison.

"I would have forgiven you if you had confined yourself to telling your master. After all, we all know how compromised servitude can be. But you revealed some of my most important secrets to Nergal” He repeats, raising his voice, getting angrier.

"The greatest gossiper in the demon world!" He concludes with a yell.

"I also owed him a favor" Liam says “And if it's any consolation to you, I don’t think he's been telling anyone about it.

Naberius stares at him, wondering, doubtless, whether to kill him in the instant or not.

"You're going to die tonight" He says coldly "I can assure you that you will not see a new dawn, but it's up to you whether the process will be quick and painless, or if it will become an indescribable torment"

"No!" I scream, unable to keep silent for another minute and begging for truce.

“Stay away from this, human” Naberius tells me, impassible and hard.

 "Seems fair to me" nods Liam. "What can I do to earn a quick death?"

He cannot be serious, I turn to him, terror stuck in my facial features and dampness in my eyes; I think my heart has stopped beating and I lack breathing. Liam does not look at me, does not look at me for a single second, speaks calmly and self-assured. I know he has assured me on countless occasions that there is nothing to fear, I can trust him; and that I do, but this is too much. To speak of death with such impassivity has left me as cold as a statue.

"Liam ..." I murmur with a string of voice, but I shut up immediately, swallowing my words. Naberius has heard me and turns to me with a perverse gleam in his eyes.

"Your little ghost seems more attached to you than I initially suspected" He comments dryly "Look, he’s so worried about you ... what will happen to him when you are dead, Liam? He will become a lost specter, aimless for the rest of Eternity, right?" He smiles while looking at me

"I do not care" Replies Liam with composure and my heart breaks into a thousand pieces, my soul collapses at my feet. I cannot believe this Liam that is in front of me or the words that come out of his mouth. He has not even looked at me once; my chin and lower lip tremble.

“Li…” I whisper in a broken tone.

"What exactly do you want to know?" Liam continues "I can tell you the name of my lord, if that's what interests you, or I can tell you everything I know about your project and to whom I've told about it"

"All that is very interesting, yes" Smiles Naberius.

"The problem is that I know that as soon as I have spoken, I will die. And since I have information that interests you, and if you kill me before I say anything, that information will die with me, I think I can afford the boldness of trying to negotiate a bit more"

Naberius lips emerge in a sly smile.

"I had you for a smarter demon, Liam"

"I also thought I had no option to negotiate" He replies "But I happen to know that you have a prisoner who refused to speak ... and is still alive" He concludes, looking at Naberius with feigned astonishment.

He laughs, and his henchmen with him.

"You have made a miscalculation: she is not my prisoner, but you do belong to me instead, and therefore I can do with you as I please. You have no chance to negotiate, Liam"

"I can tell you everything if you leave me alive. I have nothing personal in this, I only complied orders. And, as you have seen, I have fulfilled them with efficiency. I can be a loyal servant if you give me the opportunity. I do not care for one or the other. If you forgive my life ...”

"There is no deal" Cuts Naberius "What I seek are loyal servants, not liar worms like you"

"Sir, you have hurt me deeply" Liam answers, very seriously, but ironically too.

I'm hallucinating. I cannot believe that he is so calm that he allows himself not only to joke, but even hesitate to Naberius as if nothing. I just clench my fists against my chest,  where my heart is rapidly beating to the point of a cardiac arrest and holding my breath.

Naberius smiles suddenly.

"So you want to play, huh?"

"Okay, let's play then, I'm afraid you've already lost your choice to a quick death" He raises his head to look at his henchmen.

He does not have to say it twice, for the demons bow in respect and withdraw in silence.

Finally, the only ones left in the room are the both demons, Liam and I.

"So well?" Asks our captor "Don’t you have anything to tell me?"

Liam is still kneeling on the floor. If he gets up, the handcuffs will harm him further and that's something he wants to avoid for the moment and I'm praying for him to continue like this.

"Hmm ... the plan to exterminate humanity by means of a lethal virus seems to me very successful. Congratulations"

Naberiuss arches an eyebrow.

"Nothing else?"

"And my apologies for revealing such important secrets about the project ... does it have a specific name?"

He asks raising his head toward Naberius with feigned innocence.

"Apocalypse Project" A voice, soft and deep, answers from some corner of the room.

It catches us all by surprise, except for Naberius. We turn around, surprised, in search of the owner of the voice.

In the shadows, as if it had just materialized, a fourth person appears in the room.

He is tall, very tall, and a long blond mane, almost white, falls down his back. His features are exquisite, delicate, like chisels of an artist. His green eyes, however, possess the coldness of a block of marble. And it is a pity, because the angelic light shines on them with force, as in the two impressive luminous wings that have just unfolded behind him.

An angel ... Has he come to rescue us? Has Louis fulfilled his promise? I glance at everyone in the room, but Naberius does not seem surprised.

Neither does Liam, who watches the newcomer suspiciously.

"Very appropriate" He says slowly "The name, I mean, did you think of yourself?" Liam speaks.

I look at him, scandalized. However, he does not take his eyes off the angel's; who gives him a condescending smile. Then he turns to Naberius and asks:

"What is this, where is Gabriel?"

"This young devil has been sent by the leaders of The Recreation Sect and knows more than he should"

The angel looks at Liam with more interest.

"And why isn’t he dead?"

"Because we thought he would be more willing to talk than our beautiful prisoner, he does not have so many scruples, and the human that accompanies him is the first to be Recreated, isn’t it paradoxical that he ended in the same place as Gabriel?"

The angel narrows his eyes and watches me for the first time. I give him a look full of hope, but he just twists the gesture with some disgust.

"Humans are indecently obstinate" He says no more "But you did not have to bring them: Gabriel will speak tonight"

I look at him, stunned. It's not possible. Is he the partner of Naberius? An angel?

"Gabriel will not speak, neither tonight nor ever" Replicates Naberius "She is an archangel. You, better than anyone, should know what that means. But one way or another, we will get all the information we need"

He has not finished talking when someone arrives back to the room. He takes Gabriel, who walks barefoot in his wool jacket, dragged by a chain that closes around her delicate wrists. She contracts her face in a gesture of pain, because the chain hurts a lot. And yet, she raises her wings and her head, defiant, to face her enemies.

"I greet you again, Gabriel" Says the angel placidly. She squints her eyes into a grimace of anger.

"Uriel" She spits "You'll remember this"

And the last piece of the puzzle fits, cleanly and perfectly. I look in amazement at the two archangels: Gabriel, prisoner and pregnant, and Uriel, cold and calm.

It has long since ceased to be a battle between angels and demons; what is now at stake is the world, the survival of both species. Humans now have defenders and detractors among both angels and demons.

The angel to whom the future Orias showed was none other than Uriel. And it was the latter who went in search of the children of Balance: those born of angels and demons, and went after them one by one.

And I remember, as if I had lived it yesterday: the creature that attacked me in Valencia, outside the library, the one I suspected was an angel because didn’t kill me. I feel immensely betrayed, this time I look at Liam and he is looking at me; eyes full of apprehension.

I find it difficult to assimilate this amount of information. The result now depends on what Liam tells Naberius and Uriel ... and whether Lucifer comes to rescue us, as Liam hopes, or whether he will prefer to remain in the shades and sacrifice us together with Gabriel and his son.

Still in shock, I turn my attention back to the two archangels. Gabriel has said something to Uriel that I have not come to hear. He laughs, with a pure and cold laugh and answers:

"Traitor I? And what about you? Do you deny that you are expecting the son of a devil?"

Gabriel does not answer, looks at him, serene and defiant. Uriel shakes his head.

I shrink in fear and move closer to Liam's body, still kneeling on the floor.

Gabriel does not respond. Uriel sighs and turns to Naberius, who contemplates the scene with interest.

"It will not happen tonight" He says.

"Every time I'm more convinced of it" He answers "But not for Gabriel"

Uriel looks at us thoughtfully.

"You may be right" He comments only "Will you let me?"

Nebiros gives him a sly smile.

“Please” He invites him.

Uriel, with a swift and elegant gesture, draws his sword and plants it before Liam.

"You, young devil, you do not care" He says "Once humans disappear, you will remain here" It is also the same to you to serve one lord as to another, faithful to your nature, throughout your existence you must have obeyed some of those masters, and sooner or later they were your own servants, so you will lose nothing by betraying the one who sent you"

"You can" Liam says cautiously "But I do not earn anything either, I'm going to die anyway."

"But you can choose the way" He pauses and looks at him thoughtfully "I hope you know that even the most compassionate angels are capable of inflicting pain, so much pain"

"Right" Naberius adds with a smile.

Liam sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. I remain silent, intimidated, worried and trembling. There is nothing I can do in these circumstances, and that does not contribute precisely to me feeling better. But to see Liam in such a situation, impassive, cold; it makes me see that I really feel helpless inside, helpless. Just a few days ago, in Italy, he told me that it was the first time he was captured. This is the second, and apparently, the definitive one.

A groan of pain escapes my lips and my breathing quickens; I cannot think of a future without him, even if it is unimaginable.

Uriel suddenly puts his eyes on me and an incriminating flash appears on them. He arches one eyebrow and draws closer to me; I remain petrified on the site. Liam suddenly turns his head towards me, alarmed.

"Liam, I know you want to delay the time of your execution as much as possible, so ... how about we make the wait more fun?" Uriel ends, and in a second, he has me in his lock.

With one hand he takes both of mine, putting them on my back, squeezing with inhuman force, I shout, surprised, and try to escape, but it is impossible.

Liam grunts under his breath, but Uriel moves forward.

"Okay, you asked for it" And he slides his sword under my shirt, tearing it with a soft gesture, leaving my chest exposed. I shudder; oxygen suddenly becoming difficult to get into my lungs.

"Don’t even touch him!" Liar mutters, writhing on the floor, wanting to move, but the handcuffs would hurt him much more.

Uriel's pupils dilate and Liam's heart quickens, as does mine. I am scared.

"Your master's name?" The archangel asks, almost courteously.

"Let him go and I'll tell you" Liam murmurs with some difficulty.

"That is not how things work here"

He places his sword gently, almost tenderly, on my chest. Liam sucks in air quickly and my heart seems to stop beating. He slides the edge gently and pulls out a scream of pain from me. I scream again as his sword disfigures my skin, leaving a perfect straight line in the center of my chest, going low up to my navel. Blood begins to come out, as do the tears I tried to keep at bay.

Liam howls in pain and impotence, rattling the chains again.

“Zayn!” He screams in aguish.

Tears stream from my eyes incessantly, and Liam's desperate shrieks only seem to stir Uriel, who ruthlessly nails his sword even more into my flesh. The drops of blood sprout rapidly and I begin to tremble like a leaf; unable to hold myself up. Suddenly, there is a metallic sound, and when I want to realize it, I open my eyes.

With some difficulty, and fuzziness, I see Liam, trying to breathe with difficulty, also trembling with pain, but in front of me, almost unable to bear the weight of his chains or his body.

"Enough already" He says in a firm, impenetrable voice.

"Look, what do we have here ... another tragic romance between two species ..." Uriel smirks as he speaks.

"Are you begging for the life of a ... ghost? Your days are numbered; you do not have to drag yourself so low to beg for him"

Liam growls again.

"Zayn is everything to me and I beg for his life, it is me who deserves this, not him"

"Liam ..." I whisper between puffs of air and the trembling of my body.

Uriel turns to me, his sword still nailed, surrounded by my blood, but at least it stands still.

"Although the demons show signs of compassion or sympathy, they have lived a long, long time, they have caused much more damage and destruction than you can ever imagine. I regret to contradict the moment, but a devil always deserves all the bad that can happen to them”

"Not everyone" I tell him harshly, without thinking. I turn to Liam, who in the mists of pain gives me a tender, tired, but passionate look.

"I can’t see him suffer again" I answer again.

"You see, that is the great fault of your human species: egocentrism. It is not up to you, my dear human" Says Uriel patiently.

Uriel then, with his foot, presses one of Liam's wrists, so that the handcuffs are nailed to his skin, burning him as if it were acid, causing a small line of smoke even. Liam yells in pain.

"It hurts, right?" Uriel murmurs "It can get much worse ..."

I move and try to get rid of the hand that holds mine, but it is impossible; I can only do more damage with the edge of his sword.

"I will only speak if you assure me that you will leave Zayn alive" Liam answers between pantings.

"Oh, so now you do not care about your survival anymore?" Thinks aloud Uriel "Worm ..."

He pulls the sword from my chest, causing it to take a puff of air with urgency, and with the grip it has on me, throws me to the ground. He draws a growl from my lips the moment my head touches the cold hard ground, but I lean, and with the strength of my arms, and try to get up with difficulty.

Uriel sighs and turns to Naberius "I'm sorry but I will not continue with this. I cannot bear to see suffer in these creatures eyes. We will have to find out the name of our enemy by other means"

I run two steps and I fall to my knees right next to Liam, who is still trying to find his breath, his hands are lax above his thighs. I cannot see his face, but in an instant, I put my hands around his neck and hug him with difficulty; trying both to find the much sought after oxygen.

"As you wish" Naberius responds to Uriel.

"Neither do I need him alive. If he is here it is because of the error of an incompetent"

"I'm glad you understand" Uriel smiles, and raises the sword to unload on Liam in a mortal blow.

I cling more to him, hiding his limp head in my bleeding chest.

"NO!" I shout with all my strength "It's Lucifer; we're here because of him!"

Suddenly, time seems to freeze. Uriel's sword stops in the air and everyone looks at me: Gabriel and Liam, in a horrified silence, raises his head from where he kept it against me.

"Zayn ..." He says softly, eyes big, skin white.

Naberius explodes in roaring laughter.

"What have you done, human?" Asks once his laughter has died down.

"He was ... going to kill you" I babble, searching for the answer in Liam's eyes.

"No, he was not going to do it" He replies with a soft and tired smile "But now he will"

"Other of the innumerable defects of your species" Uriel tells me "is that you are amazingly weak and stupid"

And then I understand, terrified, that all this pantomime was only addressed to me. That I'm the only one who has believed that Liam was expendable.

"So Lucifer" Naberius comments slowly "Is what we suspected from the beginning, isn’t it? We have been tracking him for a long time, but he knows how to hide his footprints very well. There, Uriel, take care of the visitor”

Uriel does not respond. He still looks at us and does not react when Naberius leaves the room.

"I'm sorry," I murmur, feeling very miserable and small.

Liam closes his eyes.

"It's late" Answers him "We're lost"

"I ... I’m really sorry" I repeat, tears sprouting again from my eyes, with no way to stop them "I did not want ... I could not see you dying, I could not, it's ..." A sob invades me and soon silences my words with trembling weeping.

"Hush" Liam tells me "I wish I could hold you right now, love"

My head shoots forward in I look at him; he’s already got his eyes on me; softer than ever; making it hard for someone to realize he’s a demon.

“It’s alright, Z; you stood up for me, you didn’t know about what they had in mind”

I keep on shaking my head, well aware I could have changed things, but he’s insistent.

“I’m not mad, I…it’s fine, Zayn” I can feel the tiredness in his voice, how he drags every word over his tongue like it weighs more than anything; I’m aching from seeing him like this. With difficulty, he ever so slowly raises his conjoined hands to me, and graces the back of his index finger over the leaking teardrops. I can feel the hatred seeping through his skin and the way his nostrils flare up.

Uriel keeps looking from one to the other.

"I'll be magnanimous" Uriel says "You told me what I wanted to know, and so I'm going to leave Liam a few more moments to live, so that the boy has one last chance to say goodbye" He adds with a placid smile.

He turns away from us and goes to Gabriel, who has contemplated the scene without intervening, with a worried gesture, but now recovers his expression to return a look of contempt.

"So Lucifer then…" Says Uriel "Gabriel, how could you?

She says nothing.

I stop paying attention and look back at Liam; he continues on his knees and his wounds are not healing. They do not heal as they should in a demon or an angel; and I know that there is finally no escape. He lowers his hands with the same softness of where they were previously touching my damaged skin. We are both shaking.

It can’t quite imagine that this is the last time I see him; they will kill him in five minutes; again it has been a stupid mistake of mine that has unleashed such a disaster.

"You will never forgive me" I whisper, filled with grief, full of anguish.

Liam shakes his head to deny it.

"Do not ever say that again" Answers him with some rigidity.

Tears do not stop coming out of my eyes, no matter how much I try to remove them, they come out again; I try to bite my lip to stop his trembling, but it goes on.

Liam then takes a big breath and looks at me; his hair is somewhat disheveled in front, some tufts falling into his perfect complexion.

"I guess I underestimated the true strength of your feelings" He starts talking, slowly and quietly, as if telling a secret.

"But at least it relieves me to know that they somehow correspond with mine" He shows me a faint smirk and suddenly a whole series of contradictory emotions pass through my features.

"I love you Zayn" Whispers; but it reaches my ears with all clarity, resounding in my head.

"Liam ..."

“Perhaps it is not the love that a human can feel, I know that I have not been romantic or considerate, that I may have treated you with certain coarseness, but I hope you will understand that my real self, my nature, is cruel by its own. I have done all this for you, because from the first moment I saw you, it was not a human that my eyes saw, but a brave, determined, and shrewd boy. You have a heart that could not even compete against that of the most martyr of the angels and the bravery of a thousand demons; you are not only a true child of balance but also an incredible human, out of this world even. And you have made me feel in ways I never thought I could; they might have been faint, but they were sincere"

It is useless to try not to cry, because there is no way to stop. I throw myself at him, hugging him again by the neck with all my might.

"I love you too Liam"

"Please, do not leave me, it cannot be real, I need you here with me, you cannot die" I say, babbling more than talking "I would not mind going through the tunnel of light and leaving you behind and this world if that meant that you are going to be alive" I answer with growing anguish and truthfully.

Liam again denies with his head.

"Stubborn as always, pet" He tells me sweetly.

I dry my tears with the back of my hand; my nose must be red, like my eyes; but I don’t care.

Liam seems to be more tired than ever, for the first time I see the defeat in his eyes.

"Do not ever say that Zayn, do you understand me? You deserve the whole world," he says in a low but serious tone, bringing his face to mine, caressing my cheek with his nose gently before placing a small kiss on the wet skin.

"I do not want you to go, no, there must be something I can do" I say in an anguished moment.

"Not so much" He replies through his teeth "Lucifer has failed us, I did not expect him to take so long to come and find Gabriel, and now they know who he is, so they will be waiting for him”

"So this was all a trap from the beginning ..." I understand, horrified.

"Yes, and we fell into it ... but at least we did it together" He smiles to me and I do the same.

“Surely the conversation you spied between Valefar and Naberius was false, they knew you were there, they did it on purpose to make us conceive false hopes. That we had a chance, but they did it on purpose, to catch Lucifer. They have introduced a Trojan horse into the heart of the enemy, but it is they who are inviting him to enter the lion's den”

I remain silent, stunned.

"I'm sorry" I murmured again, unable to help myself.

Liam snaps his tongue and looks at me with tenderness.

"You're not to blame for anything, just to make me fall for you"

I give him a watery smile.

"But ... I want to apologize for everything, ever since the day I entered the pub and put a sword on your chest, everything went down and I've never imagined we'll end up like this"

Liam smiles warmly.

"I promise you that I do not regret anything at all, you are the best thing that has happened to me in the hundreds of years I have been alive, and I even have to thank you for venturing into the pub that night ..."

We stroke the tips of our noses in an Eskimo kiss and with one of my hands pull away the strands of hair that had fallen on his forehead, rearranging them. I let my hand lie on his jaw and I start to cry again, this time softer.

"Everything will be all right, my love" Liam says softly, trying to ease me.

But suddenly a cry of anguish interrupts us. We turn to the archangels, to discover Gabriel bent over herself, shaking, debating and with her hands on her belly. A small puddle at her feet and suddenly the room becomes cold.

"She has broken waters" Liam confirms my suspicions; and not only that, but he also points to a stressed Uriel whom had sheathed his sword, ready to kill the beast, while saying:

"It's for your sake, you do not know what you've done ... someday you'll thank me ..."

"Stop!" I scream as I pounce on Uriel; I throw him to the ground and the sword falls inches away from us, gliding through the marble.

Gabriel starts to scream in pain, he is giving birth already.

Uriel screams in fury from where he is under me. He looks at me with a cold, inhuman look, but after which there is a deep pain, an indescribable pain that has accumulated in his soul for thousands of years. Uriel is essentially an angel and as such, is a creature that suffers when it has to inflict harm on others.

Still, he lashes out at me and uses his strength to pull me to the side of the room. With an agonizing growl, I fall, but I try to breathe deeply and grasp the strength I have left; I need to get the baby safe.

Uriel has taken the sword again, but I can see how his hands shake. No need to beat him; just a distraction while Gabriel gives birth completely, will suffice.

"Zayn!" Liam calls me alarmed; seeing how Uriel is approaching the woman in childbirth.

With one hand on the wounds still covering my chest, I get up and approach them.

I seem to see that the baby is coming out, but such is the chaos between the cries of Gabriel and Liam's; that I can only focus on the important thing:

I pass all the force of my body to my elbow and I hit him right in the ribs, causing Uriel for a moment to drag his hands to the zone injured by reflex movement; so that he lets his sword fall.

It is now when I take the weapon in my hands and again draw forces to throw it across the room.

I notice how Uriel is getting angrier for every second that passes; I can feel his fury more strongly than a demon’s.

In an instant I am standing, but the next I am on the ground; blood spurting from my nose and dirtying the white and immaculate marble floor.

I look at the archangel; he thinks that this is necessary, that it is his duty even if he does not like it and that he is doing the right thing; but he is wrong; killing an innocent life is not the solution. My look at him is defiant; challenging him to see if he can with me.

His nostrils flare up and his shoulders square some; but I stand still on the floor, surveying him.

Far away I hear Liam shout something at me, or maybe he's telling Gabriel, but I ignore it. It's much more important to keep Uriel entertained for the time being.

I see that his eyes are on his sword, and he is going to run towards it, but I trip him.

He falls graceless to the ground, and I throw myself on top of him. I fight with all my strength, I absolutely hurt my whole body and I do not know very well who is winning.

But suddenly an agonizing cry breaks our struggle and we both stop, staring at the source of the cry.

There, on the floor, with her back against the wall, is a tired and reddish Gabriel, sweaty. Suddenly there is a sharp cry; and we are all astonished to see the little bundle that appears between her arms.

I freeze; witnessing the scene; it is something from another world, seems as if a golden aura is enveloping them.

Immersed in the scene, it is impossible for me to realize the howl of anger that comes from the lips of Uriel and the way in which he grabs my neck; momentarily cutting my breath. I do not have time to defend myself, because suddenly the door opens and Naberius and Valefar return.

They bring a demon in his human form, chained from head to toe. A devil who, if he wished, could destroy us all with a mere thought, but he would not dare to do so, not because the chains, forged with the only material that can kill him, immobilize him and make every movement a true torment, above all, because he has remained standing watching the state in which Gabriel is.

Gabriel lifts a tearful smile to Lucifer; without the need for words.

And in spite of the chains and pain; Lucifer leaps toward her and no one is able to stop him. We see him bow down beside the archangel, wrap him in a comforting embrace and see the little one.

Naberius and Valefar are petrified, they cannot move. They watch Uriel, wondering how he has been able to leave the little boy alive and spare his life.

"You will pay for this" Growled Lucifer, referring to the state in which Gabriel has had to live all this time.

Naberius looks at him with indifference; but Lucifer narrows his eyes, turning them into two thin red slits "You're going to pay for this, the three of you"

Uriel has remained still, above me and still with his hand on my neck, this time lax and allowing the air to pass through and reach my lungs; still, I notice several areas of my body bleeding and a throbbing pain in the back of my skull.

"It does not matter, oh Grand Duke of Hell" Naberius replies "Our little experiment is almost ready. In a very short time we will be ready to launch it into the world, and in less than three weeks, humans will completely disappear, as well as the weakest angels or demons remaining”

Lucifer responds only with a smile of triumph that momentarily disconcerts Naberius. And then, suddenly, we notice a sudden rise in temperature in the room. Something is wrong; the ground begins to tremble.

My whole body quivers with pure terror and I have the imperative sense that we are in danger, that something stalks us from the darkness, something much more grandiose and terrible than all the demons together.

I look at Liam and we both turn to look at Lucifer, who, in a second, has doubled in size and height, and a black halo as the darkest night has completely enveloped him, only revealing two bright red eyes.

"Interesting" His voice echoes; a voice that seems to come from everywhere and from nowhere at the same time.

Naberius pales; I can almost smell his fear, his bewilderment. Uriel finally gets up from me and seems to lose in an instant all the security he had in himself.

I look back at Liam, frightened to the core, and watch him curl up over himself; in a deep reverence.

I realize then that Lucifer, the great duke of hell, is showing his true form; the most powerful ever known and that, despite the angelic chains still surrounding it, has been completely transformed.

"Sir" Greets Liam.

Naberius recoils with a choked cry. All his power, all his strength and his arrogance seem to wane before the being before him. Lucifer now presents a matte black hair, smooth and shiny; Angular features and dark, black carbon. From his forehead appear two twisted, gray horns.

Lucifer, in his complete form: the emperor of hell. The lord of all demons; the protagonist of countless legends and horror stories.

I still tremble with pure terror, unfamiliar with such a dark and powerful sensation.

I crawl and crawl closer to Liam; it is a magnetic and invisible force that pushes me toward it when fear seems to make way for my bones. And it is not our bond; is something much stronger. He raises his head from where he was revered and looks at me, amazed to see his lord in his most powerful and deadly form.

"Did you truly believe that you could dethrone me, servants?" Lucifer has not raised his voice, but it is not necessary, because his words are heard with perfect clarity in our heads.

Lucifer turns to Naberius "So you have agreed with an archangel to exterminate the entire human race?"

"My apologies, my lord ..."

"Enough, I will put an end to this immediately, you will be punished accordingly, severely punished ..."

But he did not have time to finish, because a voice interrupted him.

"That's enough, Lucifer"

Obnubilated by the presence of Lucifer, none of us have noticed that the door of the office has opened behind our backs. In it there are three stern and shining angels, two men and one young woman. All three have big beautiful wings and swords drawn and covered in blood. They must have killed all the security of the building.

"I greet you archangels" Lucifer responds to the three people who have entered.

Gabriel looks at them, perplexed, and exclaims:

"Michael, Raphael, Remeiel!" She still has the little one in her arms "What are you doing here?"

Michael is the first one to respond "Lucifer warned us of the unusual news, and we have come to take up the matter. We, the angels, will take care of the punishment of our brother Uriel, the rest is his job"

Lucifer wraps his wings. His thin lips curve in a mischievous smile. And we thought he was going to take action, but we realize, a second afternoon, that in a movement so fast that we have missed, Michael has crossed Uriel with his sword.

"I'm sorry, brother" He recites as Uriel leaves his last breath. At last he dies in the arms of the archangels, who hold his still body.

Michael cleans his sword and looks defiant at Lucifer.

"Your turn" He says "The experiment is being stopped and destroyed at the moment by our brothers"

Lucifer nods and with a snap of fingers, Naberius and Valefar disappear, but you can still hear their cries of agony and a huge ball of fire swallowing them.

Then he turns to where Gabriel stands and kisses her forehead.

Both Michael and Lucifer look at each other and nod; both seem to communicate something to Gabriel, but I only cling more to Liam's body, who seems to be losing strength for every minute that passes.

With a bow, the archangels disappear and then Gabriel looks at the creature in his arms and then looks at us.

"Are you sure of what you do, Gabriel?" Lucifer asks her uneasily.

She nods and moves toward us.

"Thank you both" She says "Thank you so much Zayn and Liam. I owe you much more than my life"

I tilt my head, I want to deny it, tell her it was nothing special, but she keeps talking.

"Before we leave, I will propose two things: a favor and a wish" She speaks softly, Lucifer nods at her words and Liam raises his head a little, with great difficulty, still tied to his chains.

"You served me well, young demon" Lucifer tells Liam truthfully "For my part, I consider your debt settled, you are free, I am indebted to you"

"Thank you" Liam bows again and I run my hand over one of his bleeding shoulders.

"I will grant you your wish" Gabriel speaks to me and I completely freeze.

"W-what I'm allowed to wish?"

"Whatever your heart desires, but it's just one" She smiles and I look at Liam with a sparkle in my eyes, I smile at her then, when Liam nods at me.

"I want to be alive again" She nods at me in a beautiful way.

"Granted, what about you, young demon?"

And what happens next, leaves me out of breath, completely.

"I want to be human" I look at him, perplexed.

“What?!” I exclaim with incredulity, shaking my head; no, this must be a dream, I must have been dissociating since the moment I hit my head on the ground.

“Nothing could make me happier than giving up my nature, becoming a human, and getting to life a short, mortal life”

Lucifer frowns, also not giving credit to what the young demon was saying.

“Are you sure, son? What’s that about? Are you aware of the implications such transformation hold? Are you completely sure you want to give up your identity for that of a mere mortal?”

“It would mean the world to me, yes” He says, completely sure of his words and never breaking his gaze from mine. I melt at that same moment.

“Granted as well” Speaks softly Gabriel.

“But now…before I let you two go; the favor…” We both nod and Lucifer frees Liam of his chains, I see how Liam can finally breath again, and move; and he’s about to come forward to hold me; but Gabriel speaks first.

We both get up and she caresses the baby’s face. Lucifer holds her from behind securely.

“We may have stopped a real world ending now, but this won’t be the last time. Children of balance are incredibly important” She looks at me while saying so “We must keep them alive; since they would survive a world ending. I know the dangers he will face with me; so I will need someone to take care of my son”

I open my mouth as well as my eyes and look at Liam, who’s looking at me the same way.

“Do you want us to…take him?” Asks a bewildered Liam while gulping audibly.

Gabriel and Lucifer both nod.

“You have proved yourselves loyal and brave; I think they couldn’t have better protectors. Please, I’m begging you; I’ve just seen death with my own eyes, my child’s life has been endangered since I was brought here and could be endangered again in no time; you two, once humans, will protect him in a better way than I could ever provide him. Treat him as your own; and don’t worry about me, I will visit him when the time comes”.

She was smiling in such a way it was impossible to contradict her words. We both nod and she shows a full teeth smile that reaches her eyes despite the previous events. With a snap of fingers; everything around us disappears.

I turn to look at Liam, but I do not see him. I only see light, a light that becomes more and more intense and that warms my skin. Suddenly, I try to scream but I cannot; I rise, I seem to be flying, a strong wind clothes me and keeps me rising, where the light becomes even more intense. I close my eyes. Is this the famous tunnel of light?

Fear grips me once more.

No, it cannot be; I have not asked for death; I have asked for my life. It must be a mistake.

But it is too late, my essence is absorbed by the tunnel of light and finally abandoned the room. Everything is black.

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

 

 

The morning light spilled on the bed, creating a white halo around the heads of its occupants. Suddenly and in an abrupt movement, one of them gets up, gasping for air, his heart beating wildly in his ribcage.

Zayn looks at his surroundings, then at his hands, then at the room once more. He’s trying to catch his breath as if he has been submerged in a tank of water for a long time.

Once he’s caught enough oxygen, he pushes his hand against the white soft bed sheet that is covering his legs, and to his delight, he can grasp it, touch it and feel the silky texture of it. He does no longer pass through inanimate objects like a ghost and he tries to get up and try it again against a wall, but something heavy around his waist prevents him from doing so.

He frowns and uncovers his body from the bed sheet, seeing a big, tattooed hand grasping strongly his waist. Zayn falls softly back to the bed, lies down and turns to face the owner of said hand.

There sleeping peacefully is no other than Liam.

His heart misses a beat and he remains immobile. There’s not a single bruise or scratch in his strong face, only a small frown in his bushy brows and a lovely pout on his lips.

“Am I dreaming?” Whispers Zayn softly to himself “I must have crossed the light tunnel and this is what heaven looks like”

With delicate hands, he grazes his fingertips over Liam’s shoulder, up no his neck and continuing to the bridge of his nose; all while holding his breath, wishing profusely for the moment to be real and not a mere mirage.

Slightly, Liam opens his eyes; Zayn draws his hand out of his face. His frown remains and deepens for a moment and Zayn is scared briefly.

Liam’s eyes widen and he throws in a second the bed sheet out of their bodies. He looks at his hands and body just like Zayn did seconds ago. The olive-skinned boy remains in his position, as bewildered as his companion.

Liam gets up immediately and runs to the nearest door, which leads to a bathroom. The lights go on and Zayn gets out of bed as well and follows him.

“Liam” Zayn tries the name with his voice, still sleepy and soft.

But the man is too engrossed in the mirror’s reflection. He’s surveying his own face before he harshly takes off his t-shirt and throws it to the bathroom’s floor.

Zayn gasps faintly when he sees Liam’s back; there, in the expanse of skin and muscle, are two long scars, one facing the other, right in the middle of each one of his shoulder blades. The telltale blemishes of what once were two long dark wings.

With the right hand on his left shoulder and a glooming look on his eyes, Liam turns back and faces Zayn. The latter then starts thinking that it was all a mistake, that now Liam is regretting his decision and he’s the one to blame.

Albeit his incessant thoughts, Liam slowly smiles at him, and there’s a renewed aura around him, much brighter and lively. His smile hits full force and in a second he’s got Zayn in his arms.

“Leeyum!”

“Oh my god” Murmurs an incredulous Liam, taking Zayn by the back of his thighs and putting them around his own hips, securing them behind and snaking an arm around Zayn’s small body for balance as the other hand touches tenderly the younger’s cheek and jaw.

“We are human” Comments Liam, still disbelieving the situation, he looks at Zayn in the eyes, but the younger just returns a wild look to him. He spins around, with Zayn secured on his tight grasp. He may be human now, but he still preserved some of his strength.

Liam comes to a stop and pushes Zayn to a near wall on the bedroom, discovering, pleased, that he’s no longer in a ghostly state, he’s very much made of bone and flesh like him. The taller man starts laughing as he hugs Zayn closer to him, stronger.

Zayn is perplexed for a beat, but shrugs it off and starts laughing as well; welcoming the so much needed contentment.

“I can’t believe it, we’re alive, human and alive…” His voice is muffled from where he’s got his face in Zayn’s neck

“And I’m feeling something…something warm all over here” Observes Liam as he touches his chest, maintaining Zayn against the wall with one arm. And the smile the boy gives him is brighter than an angel’s aura.

“That’s happiness” The boy’s amber eyes shine as he speaks.

Liam is still smiling “But I felt joy when I was a demon, this… is different” He shakes his head the slightest and becomes it closer to Zayn’s “It’s just more much enhanced and it gets warmer when I look at you; I feel something tingly in my stomach and my bloodstream is being rapidly pumped by my heart…I can’t describe it better but is just so nice and addictive…”

One of his tattooed hands comes to caress Zayn’s cheek, sliding it tenderly through his soft skin until it reaches his chin; and with a thumb, Liam delicately touches his bottom lip. He notes the fast change in the boy’s face; now almost on the brink of crying, thus making Liam frown.

“Wha…”

“That’s love, Leeyum” Tells Zayn, giving him a watery smile “What you are feeling is how humans feel when they are in love”

And Liam’s smile couldn’t get bigger.

“Do you feel like this too?” He asks with big, warm eyes.

Zayn is almost thrown back at the question and at this new Liam he’s with; if he was soft as a demon, now he’s sure he’s the most affectionate human being on Earth. For him, it feels like teaching a child about emotions for the first time and he thinks Liam can’t get any more adorable.

“I do, yes, I do”

They don’t hesitate when their lips touch each other in a second, yearning for a safe kiss; one that will leave them breathless; but not because of the fear closing on them, but quite the opposite, because now the danger’s gone, they are finally safe in each other’s arms.

Liam’s tongue finds Zayn’s easily enough; slack already, allowing him to explore the younger’s mouth further. Liam grunts while Zayn mewls; not being used to it.

They don’t break it, not until Zayn needs air and Liam divides his head an inch, focusing on biting softly down Zayn’s bottom lip, making blood arrive to the thin skin, making it redder and shinier.

It makes the younger moan again.

“You know” Starts Liam, with apparent shortness of breath in his voice while his plump lips leave a heated kiss on every inch of Zayn’s long exposed neck, chin and cheeks “I’ve always felt horribly aroused around you, your body really did make me horny, almost unbearably so, but I didn’t want to take advantage of you or hurt you, as I almost did…” He grunts and closes his eyes, breathing though his nose, but Zayn touches the side of his face with butterfly fingertips to keep Liam focused on what he was saying.

“But now…it’s not as carnal and _animal_ ; I know it’s hard to explain and understand yeah?” He stops and looks at Zayn right in the eyes, making an approving noise when the boy started biting his own lip and a rosy color tinted his cheeks.

“And now it’s much more powerful, like I want to ravish and take you apart piece by piece, but only to bring you back together just as slow” His voice dropped an octave just as Zayn stopped breathing altogether “There’s this part of me that wants to make you mine, mark you for everyone to see, but I also want you to be comfortable, I’ve got this urges of making you feel just right” He finishes with a low guttural groan that travels right to Zayn’s underwear.

Zayn is panting already, aroused and nodding, not letting Liam waste any other minute speaking; he wants him to use his tongue elsewhere.

“Take me to bed, Li” Pleads in a low needy moan.

Liam is glad to obey; he truly will miss his super speed now that he has to walk the boy to the bed, but at least now he won’t be worried of hurting Zayn; of littering his boy with bruises and scratches or being carried away by the moment and losing control.

He knows what happens when a demon loses his willpower in the middle of an intimate moment, and he’s not sure if he would ever forgive himself if something were to happen to Zayn.

Delicately, he puts Zayn on the bed, his legs falling from where they were secured around his hips to lay now open among the sea of white silk bedsheets.

The older of the two takes a minute to really observe Zayn and his beauty: his soft bronze skin, his charcoal black locks, how long his eyelashes are and how they cast shadows upon his higher cheekbones. He looks even younger when he’s completely pliant. Short puffs of breath keep coming in and out from his red, glossy lips, keeping them in a pout and Liam thinks he’s been given Heaven and Hell altogether.

“Come ‘ere” And his voice is melody to his ears. He didn’t notice this small things when he was a demon; too focused on satisfying his needs. Liam did absolutely everything that was on his hand to keep those thoughts at bay, he really worked hard on it, not wanting to scare or hurt the younger, and he’s indescribably glad he fooled temptation.

Liam puts his forearms on each side of the younger’s head and accommodates his body on top of the other, without rush, molding their human bodies like two puzzle pieces that were meant to be together.

“Needy” He teases, absolutely loving every second of it and tipping his head forward to catch Zayn’s addicting lips once more.

The kiss soon turns more heated than expected. Zayn moves his hips forward, creating a shy friction between them. And that was a mistake, because it only made him realize how hard are both and how much he needs it.

Zayn gasps into the kiss and Liam snakes his hand where the younger’s t-shirt is pooling in his hips. He tugs it upwards and sits up in order to let Zayn get completely rid of the unwelcoming piece of fabric.

As if he was pulled by a force, Liam’s lips attach themselves to every bit of skin he can get to. He starts kissing each of the boy’s erect nipples before closing his mouth around them; tonguing and slightly biting until they were puffy and red.

What he loves the most is the little sounds he draws from the boy beneath him and the way he squirms in his hold, trying to get more friction. His dainty hands are holding strongly onto Liam’s shoulders, scratching his blunt nails along the skin.

Liam does the exact same to the other nipple until Zayn’s skin breaks in goosebumps, product of the pleasure. He then continues mouthing his chest, going down until he was at his navel, trying not to remember the horrible wound he had there once but that now was inexistent, not even a scar was left behind, and he was glad.

He was glad because such beautiful human being didn’t need such horrible remainder engraved into his skin.

When he nibs at the faint V muscle, he realizes how hard Zayn is and decides he’ll like to keep him on edge for a little longer. Is that how he opens the boys pants ever so slowly, letting them go down his long legs, but not before first  devilishly grazing his knuckles over his boner, making the boy moan loudly.

“M-more” Comes Zayn’s plea.

“Patience, pet” Liam finally finishes getting his pants off and throwing them somewhere “Turn around love, get up and rest your face on the pillow, can you do that for me?”

Zayn nods, his eyes are not focused, clearly fogged up, but he does as told nevertheless, just as Liam takes advantage of the moment to take his pants off as well, throwing them in the same direction, and waiting until Zayn is comfortable.

He’s lying on his belly, hands resting a top of the long pillow. Liam absolutely adores how inviting he looks like this, albeit seeming small, he’s so enticing.

Big hands roam around the expanse of his back, leaving small open-mouth kisses here and there, making him squirm further into the mattress.

Liam thinks it’s enough and ever so slowly takes the seam of Zayn’s underwear in his fingers and starts lowering it, goosebumps breaking in his olive skin once again.

He takes a moment to appreciate Zayn while grazing a thumb between his ass cheeks, opening them. Liam can hear the moan escaping his lips and he nips one of them, hard, making small dots of blood appear but that don’t escape his skin since it’s not broken.

Zayn is making these small noises, never ending, his knuckles are turning white from where they are harshly grabbing the pillow as Liam leaves a medium-sized hickey, kissing it before continuing.

Liam kisses Zayn’s neck from behind and noses at his nape until he’s near his ear.

“I will take it slow, okay? Just tell me if it hurts too much baby”

Zayn nods and bites down his own thumb and Liam almost loses it over the sight, but holds himself together.

He then licks a broad strip along his crack, parting with his hands each cheek, and this time Zayn moans harder than he’s ever heard him; it’s enough to fuel his actions, repeating it again and again, wetting him, nipping a bit around the skin to keep the melodic moans coming, never-ending music for his ears.

“P-please L-eeyummm” Pleads a broken Zayn, moaning, incapable of containing them anymore.

“Please what, pet?”

And suddenly, Zayn’s shyness is back again, making him hide his perfect face in the pillow, to which Liam makes a displeased sound and quickly stops him, with a thumb on his chin he looks at the pair or shiny amber eyes just before kissing him passionately, pouring him every bit of reassurance he owns.

“It’s okay” He tells Zayn, suddenly remembering he was the young’s first.

He lets go of the boy’s face to rest on top of the pillow and licks his own hand, working this way on himself easier. He pumps his length steadily with one hand; the other goes to Zayn’s buttocks, separating them once again with his thumb and using the previous saliva in there to insert the digit slightly, just passing through the ring of muscle.

“Agh” Sobs Zayn in both pleasure and surprise.

Liam keeps the movement in and out, easing Zayn, trying to ease the tension of his muscles. Once he thinks he’s ready, he replaces his fingers with the tip of his length, teasing in circles the entrance.

“Ngh” Liam can only hear the boy moaning messily, he doesn’t quite understand if he’s trying to form any coherent words.

“It’s okay baby, slow, yeah?” He tries to ease him. His warm, calloused hands massage the back of the boy’s thighs in circular motions for a couple of seconds.

He then takes one hand to help himself insert into Zayn; inch by inch, acknowledging every sound Zayn makes and every shortness of breath.

It takes a moment and several moments of stopping, since it was becoming too much for Zayn at some points, but once he was fully inside, he started moving, dragging the movement as much as he could, drawing out until the only thing in was the tip and slamming back in until the bottom.

“Aah” Zayn can’t stop and won’t stop now, not shying away, just putting all his attention in moving his hips simultaneously. They went faster, and Liam grabbed both of Zayn’s hands, intertwining their fingers and pushing them over the pillow, gaining balance.

“H-harder Li” He moaned; to which Liam grunted and contentedly agreed, wanting nothing else than to please him in every possible way he could.

Heated kisses were shared between them; some were more teeth clashing, others lip biting, but they were unique in their way. Zayn had his eyes closed, forcefully and his mouth opened.

“I-I…” He wanted to say, but couldn’t make any comprehensible word. Seconds later he was coming and Liam with him, grunting and milking what was left inside of him; making the last thrusts even harder and deeper.

Soon, something Liam was not familiar with, took over his muscles: tiredness. He obliged his muscles to work until they could both catch their breaths once again until he was pulling out completely. Zayn turned around, facing Liam, and he latter pressed his heated skin all over Zayn’s.

Their looks met and a shy smile made its way in Zayn’s features.

“Hey” He breath-laughed.

Liam was too awestruck to answer with words, so instead he opted for smiling as well and brushing the strands of hair that were sticking into Zayn’s forehead, slowly letting the back of his hand travel his jaw; even if he’s done the same route a thousand times, he could never ever get tired of it.

He’s the first one to kiss, searching for the now raw-bitten lips of the younger boy, but this time slower than ever, pouting every human feeling he now could sense to the other; trying to tell him how _much_ he was feeling and how he _loved_ it.

“I hope you realize the best things that ever happened to me were that night I saw you point at me with your sword and being granted the wish of spending the rest of my mortal life with you on my arms, Zayn” He tells him truthfully.

And if you were to ask Zayn, he’ll blame the after climax hormones, and the moment altogether, because in a second, big, shiny teardrops were falling from his eyes, but were accompanied by a giant smile.

“I love you too Liam” He offered yet another watery giggle.

 

 

\----

 

 

After cleaning themselves, they both retrieved back to sleep. Liam was not used to sleeping patterns or sleep altogether, since he didn’t have the need when he was a demon, but now he has to.

Once inside and twisted in each other’s embrace, they are completely ready to drift off to sleep, but suddenly, the doorbell goes off and alerts them both.

They are in Liam’s penthouse in Los Angeles; where he doesn’t expect any visit. A bit warily, he gets up, and Zayn follow him, holding their hands.

Liam opens the door slowly, assessing for danger, but sees no one outside. Thinking it might be some kids playing, he goes to close it, but Zayn beats him to it.

“No, wait Li, look” He points to the ground, where a small lump can be seen.

Zayn let’s go of their locked hand and, with some soreness, crouches to take a closer look, taking the lump in his hands. He gasps and turns around, facing Liam with big round eyes.

“Leeyum…”

In his embrace, he’s holding a newborn; a small child who is peacefully sleeping and surrounded with silky cream-colored sheets.

“Gabriel” Says Liam, suddenly remembering what happened in Naberius headquarters.

Zayn nods and his face is glowing, looking down at the baby in his arms. To Liam amazement, he starts feeling something new again; and this time he has no idea of what it could mean, but it’s an overwhelming urge of protection, combined with such tenderness from seeing Zayn hold a newborn that he feels as if he’s soaring over the sky.

“We…we need to take care of him, Liam” Zayn looks at him, face full of fondness.

“We will” He steps forward to take a better look at the baby, who is nothing but a small pinky thing, his little nose resembles a button and is scrunched up as he sleeps, there’s also the first signs of black hair growing and it reminds him so much of Zayn’s…

He comes behind Zayn and hugs him, his big hands covering the expanse of his belly while his chin perches atop the boy’s shoulder.

Zayn takes the baby closer to his chest, to keep him warm.

“Gabriel didn’t name him, did her?” Asks Zayn in a slow tone, not to wake the creature up.

“I don’t think so. Why? Do you have anything in mind?”

A small smile makes its way to his lips.

“Angelo”

Liam frowns “Because every demon was once an angel?” He asks

Zayn turns to him with a megawatt smile and kisses his cheek softly before answering.

“No” He laughs some “Because I think you were born with the wrong wings”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm that's it I guess hahahhaha; I've got two more fanfics that I'm writting and this time I will not update them until I've got them finished so yeah, no more anguish waiting. If anyone is interested, please subscribe:
> 
> ✨ One is Greek Mythology AU Ziam  
> ✨ The other is Spy!AU, also Ziam, of course
> 
> Thank you again for everything 


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